Berlin’s attempts to curb Chinese investment have come under fire from some of Germany’s top economists who say the country would benefit by remaining open for business despite trade restrictions by Beijing.
柏林方面遏制中国投资的企图受到德国一些顶尖经济学家的批评,他们称,尽管北京方面存在贸易限制,但是德国将获益于保持对商业开放。
The verdict from an influential group of advisers came as the German economics minister clashed with his Chinese counterpart after Berlin’s decision to block a takeover of chipmaker Aixtron.
一个有影响力的顾问团得出这个结论之际,柏林方面决定阻止中资收购芯片制造商爱思强(Aixtron)后,德国经济部长与中国商务部长发生冲突。
Sigmar Gabriel, who is also Germany’s vice-chancellor, told reporters in Beijing yesterday that words were not minced “on either side” when he met Gao Hucheng, China’s trade minister.
德国副总理兼经济部长西格马尔.加布里尔(Sigmar Gabriel)昨天在北京向记者表示,当他与中国商务部长高虎城会面时,“双方”措辞都不委婉。
Mr Gabriel’s China trip comes weeks after Berlin withdrew its approval for the EURO670m takeover of Aixtron by Chinese group Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund. Berlin has reopened a review of the deal, a move Beijing views as tantamount to economic protectionism but that Germany claims safeguards strategic interests.
在加布里尔出访中国的几周前,柏林方面撤消了对福建宏芯投资基金(Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund)收购爱思强的批准。柏林方面已对这笔交易启动重审,北京方面认为此举等同于经济保护主义,而德国声称是为了保护战略利益。
The intended Aixtron acquisition is part of a wave of Chinese dealmaking that has prompted a protectionist backlash in Germany.
收购爱思强的企图是中国最近一波收购交易的一部分,这些交易引发了德国国内的保护主义反弹。
However, in an annual report to Angela Merkel, Germany’s Council of Economic Experts said the chancellor and her government should keep the door open for Chinese companies and played down fears of German technology being transferred out of the country.
然而,在提交给德国总理安格拉.默克尔(Angela Merkel)的年度报告中,德国经济专家协会(Council of Economic Experts)称默克尔及其政府应该保持向中国企业开门,并淡化人们对德国技术转让至境外的担忧。
“The increasing activities of Chinese investors as buyers of German companies are often viewed with scepticism,” the council said. “But even if there is a lack of reciprocity and one country behaves in a protectionist way, there is still an advantage for the country that allows free inward movement of capital.”
“中国投资者收购德国企业的越来越频繁的活动往往遭遇疑虑,”该协会称,“但是即使缺少互惠对等、其中一国表现出保护主义,允许资本自由流入的那个国家仍然会得到好处。”
Germany was “well advised to maintain a unilaterally liberal regime for foreign direct investment, even if China remains an economy with restrictive conditions for the acquisition and market access by foreigners”, the report said.
该报告称,德国“完全应该对外国直接投资(FDI)维持单方面的自由主义体制,即便中国仍然是对外资收购和市场准入实行限制性条件的经济体”。
European and US officials’ attempts to thwart a wave of Chinese dealmaking is thought to have played an important role in scuppering deals worth almost $40bn.
欧洲和美国官员阻碍中国收购交易潮的意图,被认为对总值近400亿美元的交易受阻起到了重要作用。
Berlin is pushing for the EU to adopt rules to limit Chinese takeovers of European countries in areas such as defence, saying it remains open to investment but wants to limit deals driven by China’s industrial policy.
柏林方面正在推动欧盟采取措施限制中资收购防务等领域的欧洲企业,称其对投资仍然保持开放,只是希望限制由中国产业政策驱动的交易。
The council’s report — citing the planned EURO4.5bn acquisition of chipmaker Kuka by Chinese investor Midea, as well as the deal for Aixtron — challenged the push for Brussels to block deals, saying a ban on such takeovers did not comply with EU law.
该协会的报告——其中提到中国美的(Midea)计划以45亿欧元收购机器人制造商库卡(Kuka)、以及爱思强的交易——挑战了德国推动布鲁塞尔方面阻止交易的举动,并称禁止此类收购交易与欧盟法律不符。