澳以国家安全为由阻止中企收购Ausgrid
Australia moved to block the A$10bn-plus ($7.47bn) sale of a controlling stake in the country’s biggest electricity distribution network to two Chinese companies on national security grounds.
澳大利亚出于国家安全考虑，决定阻止一笔逾100亿澳元（合74.7亿美元）的、将该国最大电网企业的控股权出售给两家中国企业的交易。
The preliminary decision reflects public and political unease over the scale of Chinese investment in critical infrastructure and farm land in Australia — echoed around the globe — that has intensified following the recent election.
这一初步决定反映出，在不久前的选举过后，澳民众和政界对中国企业投资澳关键基础设施和农地的规模之大感到不安。中国投资在世界其他地方也引发了这种不安。
“In particular, during the review process national security issues were identified in critical power and communications services that Ausgrid provides to businesses and governments,” Scott Morrison, Australia’s treasurer, said on Thursday.
澳大利亚财长斯科特•莫里森(Scott Morrison)周四表示：“要特别指出的是，在审查过程中，（当局）认定Ausgrid向企业和政府提供的关键电力与通信服务中存在国家安全问题。”
“I am, of course, open to consider what the bidders put to me, but at this stage no suitable mitigations have been identified that would, for the proposed transaction structure, appropriately address the identified risks,” he added.
他接着说：“当然，我愿意考虑竞标者提交给我的东西，但在现阶段，从提议的交易结构来看，没有看出有哪些合适的措施可妥善化解我们认定的那些风险、缓解我们的担忧。”
Mr Morrison insisted to reporters that the government remained positively disposed to foreign investment despite the decision to block the transaction. The stake is being offered by the state government under a 99-year lease
莫里森对记者们坚称，尽管决定阻止这笔交易，但澳政府仍对外国投资持欢迎态度。在这笔交易中，州政府是以租让99年的形式出售这些股权的。
State Grid Corporation, which is owned by the Chinese government, and Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Infrastructure, which is backed by tycoon Li ka-shing, have each submitted bids of more than A$10bn ($7.47bn) for a 50.4 per cent stake in the New South Wales electricity group Ausgrid. No local bidders took part in a privatisation process that has been thrown into disarray by the decision.
国有的中国国家电网公司（State Grid Corporation，简称：国家电网）以及香港大亨李嘉诚(Li ka-shing)控制的长江基建(Cheung Kong Infrastructure)，都提交了以逾100亿澳元收购新南威尔士州电力集团Ausgrid 50.4%股权的报价。并无澳本土企业参与这笔已被政府上述决定打乱的私有化交易。
In a statement responding to the decision, CKI said: “We believe that the Australian Government must have reasons beyond the obvious which led them to make today’s announcement. The issue is unrelated to CKI.”
长江基建在一份回应澳方决定的声明中称：“集团相信澳洲政府今日之公布背后实有难言之隐。个中原因与长江基建无关。”
Chinese investment in the US, Europe and Australia has hit record levels, underlining Beijing’s growing importance as a driver of global growth and source of inward investment. But it is prompting scrutiny from regulators, including in Australia where Scott Morrison, treasurer, recently blocked the sale of the vast S Kidman & Co cattle farm to a Chinese group.
中国在美国、欧洲和澳大利亚的投资已达到创纪录水平，突显出中国作为全球增长驱动力以及外来投资源头的重要性日益上升。但这正引发各国监管机构的密切关注，包括澳大利亚。澳财长莫里森近期还阻止了将大型养牛场基德曼公司(S Kidman & Co)出售给一家中资集团的交易。
The proposed sale of Ausgrid has drawn sharp criticism from independent politicians, a bigger voice in parliament following July’s knife-edge election that gave the government a single-seat majority. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party and the Nick Xenophon Team, which control seven seats in the Senate, have both publicly opposed the sale of Ausgrid to foreign buyers.
Ausgrid这笔拟议中的售股交易还招致独立议员的尖锐批评。由于现政府在7月极其激烈的大选中仅获得超半数1个席位的多数，这些独立议员在议会中拥有了更大的话语权。波琳•汉森(Pauline Hanson)的单一民族党(One Nation party)和谢诺峰团队党(Nick Xenophon Team)都公开反对将Ausgrid出售给外国买家。这两党在参议院合计控制7个席位。
“This decision may herald the start of the coalition’s rollback on openness to foreign investment and free trade due to the new political realities in parliament,” said Duncan McDonnell, politics lecturer at Griffith University.
格里菲斯大学(Griffith University)政治学讲师邓肯•麦克唐奈(Duncan McDonnell)说：“这一决定或许预示着，鉴于议会的新政治现实，联合政府在向外资开放及自由贸易方面开始出现后退。”
The New South Wales government said it was confident another buyer could be found in time for the next state budget to record the proceeds of the transaction. But given the lack of local bidders, the sale process is likely to be delayed and raise less cash.
新南威尔士州政府表示，有信心及时找到另一个买家，以便下个州预算案中能录入这笔交易的所得。但由于缺少本土竞标者，出售过程很可能延迟，筹到的现金也不会有那么多。
Australia’s business lobby and some politicians are becoming increasingly concerned that foreign investment has become a political football, which risks damaging the economy.
澳大利亚商业游说团体及一些政治人士越来越担心，外国投资已变成一个“政治皮球”，那样的话可能会给该国经济造成伤害。
