外國汽車廠商成中國媒體攻擊目標

China is putting the heat on foreign auto makers.

中國正在對外國汽車製造商施壓。

On Wednesday, Volkswagen AG said it would recall more than 380,000 vehicles following a critical report from China's powerful state-run television broadcaster last week alleging problems with the transmissions in some of its most popular models. A VW spokesman said it was too early to estimate costs, though some analysts said the recall could run as high as $618 million.

週三，大衆汽車(Volkswagen AG)宣佈，它將召回逾38萬輛汽車。此前中國影響力很大且具有官方背景的一家電視臺上週報道，大衆汽車生產的部分最受歡迎的車型存在變速箱問題。大衆汽車發言人說，現在估計成本還爲時過早。但一些分析師表示，此次召回的成本可能高達6.18億美元。

China Central Television this week broadcast separate complaints claiming luxury autos made by BMW AG, Audi and Daimler AG reduced cabin noise and absorbed vibration with materials it said emitted fumes that were harmful to consumer health. CCTV's reports cited test results conducted by Beijing University of Chemical Technology that showed traces of asphalt.

中國中央電視臺(CCTV)這周另外又播出了多位消費者的投訴，稱寶馬汽車公司(BMW AG)、奧迪(Audi)和戴姆勒公司(Daimler AG)生產的豪華汽車所使用的降噪減震阻尼片會散發出對消費者健康有害的異味。央視的報道引用了北京化工大學(Beijing University of Chemical Technology)的檢測結果，結果顯示這種材料含瀝青殘餘。

The state-owned broadcaster kept up the drumbeat on Wednesday, parking a reporter outside a Mercedes-Benz auto facility in Beijing. 'We will wait outside the company until they have a sincere attitude,' she told viewers.

央視週三繼續跟進，派出一位記者守候在梅賽德斯-奔馳(Mercedes-Benz)北京工廠的門外。這位記者告訴觀衆：我們將在該公司門外等候，直到他們展現出真誠的態度。

A spokesman for Daimler, which owns the Mercedes-Benz brand, said it immediately began a probe in the matter, but defended its China-made cars saying they use only imported damping materials that comply with regulations world-wide.

擁有梅賽德斯-奔馳品牌的戴姆勒公司發言人說，該公司立即對此事展開了調查。但這位發言人仍然對該公司在中國生產的汽車辯護，稱他們只使用符合全球監管規定的進口阻尼片。

BMW and Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen, said they launched their own probes following the complaints. BMW said it applies uniform standards to its auto production world-wide. An Audi spokesman said a laboratory test on Wednesday found no emissions that would impact health.

寶馬和大衆汽車旗下的奧迪稱，在接到投訴之後他們已經展開了各自的調查。寶馬公司表示，其全球範圍內的汽車生產都適用統一標準。奧迪的一位發言人表示，週三進行的實驗室檢測沒有發現會影響駕車人健康的排放物。

The broadcasts were tied to an annual consumer rights day on Friday that has become a major event in China and has been used to target foreign brands ranging from Apple Inc. to McDonald's Corp. in ways that reflect government policy. CCTV hasn't only broadcast reports on foreign brands; this year it also took issue with autos made by domestic manufacturer, Jianghuai Automobile Co.

上述節目均同上週五的國際消費者權益日有關。央視在這一天播出的晚會已經成爲中國國內關注的主要事件。晚會針對的國外品牌從蘋果(Apple Inc.)到麥當勞(McDonald's Corp.)，不一而足。其批評的方式反映的是政府政策。央視不僅播出針對國外品牌的報道，今年它也瞄準了國內汽車製造商江淮汽車(Jianghuai Automobile Co.)的產品。

The focus on cars comes amid signs of frustration from Chinese officials over the dominance in the world's largest auto market of foreign brands, which enjoy a reputation for quality here.

官方媒體關注汽車質量的同時，有跡象表明中國官員對國外品牌在中國這一全球最大的汽車市場佔據主導地位感到不悅。在中國，國外汽車品牌享有質量好的聲譽。

In December, amid a new government push for austerity amid rising concerns over official corruption, China's president and new Communist Party top official Xi Jinping told government officials to use homegrown auto brands, noting, 'officials in foreign countries mostly use cars produced by their own countries unless they don't have production,' according to official media.

去年12月，中共新一代領導人在外界對官員腐敗問題的擔憂不斷升級的背景下主張厲行節約。據官方媒體報道，中國國家主席兼中共中央總書記習近平要求政府官員坐自主品牌轎車。他說，很多外國領導人都坐自己國家生產的車，除非沒有生產。

In January, Chinese industry officials renewed calls to consolidate China's diffuse auto industry to create three to five major competitors and develop homegrown brands for Chinese drivers.

今年1月，中國業內官員再次呼籲對中國分散的汽車產業進行整合，培育三到五家有競爭力的主要汽車廠商，併爲中國車主研發自主品牌轎車。

'There is a lot of resentment of the fact that the Chinese cannot compete with foreign auto makers,' said Greg Anderson, chief executive of political risk and business strategy consultancy Pacific Rim Advisors, and author of a recent book on China's auto industry. 'Foreigners have to be perfect or else the Chinese media is ready to pounce,' he added.

政治風險和商業戰略諮詢公司Pacific Rim Advisors的首席執行長安德森(Greg Anderson)說，很多人對中國車企無法同外國汽車製造商競爭的事實存有不滿。外國汽車品牌最好做到完美無瑕，否則中國媒體隨時準備調查報道。安德森最近出版了一本有關中國汽車業的新書。

McKinsey & Co. partner Axel Krieger said global auto makers should take the increased scrutiny by authorities as a sign of Beijing's wishes. 'Foreign auto makers need to be a bit more thoughtful about how they can contribute to China,' he said. 'It's not just about companies making profit. It's about industrial policy─about helping China build its automobile industry.'

麥肯錫公司(McKinsey & Co.)合夥人柯明逸(Axel Krieger)說，全球汽車製造商應該將中國有關部門日益加大的審查力度視作北京就自己的願望發出的一個信號。他說，對於自己能給中國帶來什麼貢獻的問題，外國汽車製造商應該考慮地更周全一些。它們想的不該僅僅是如何賺取利潤，還應該關心產業政策，即如何幫助中國建立其汽車產業。

More than 15.5 million cars were sold in China last year, up 7% from the year before. Foreign brands accounted for 70% of sales, with Volkswagen and General Motors Co. GM +3.91% nameplates among the top-selling brands. The government has set a goal of boosting domestic-brands' market share to 40% by 2015.

去年中國市場上共售出了超過1,550萬輛汽車，較上一年增長了7%。外國品牌佔中國國內汽車銷量的70%，其中大衆和通用汽車公司(General Motors Co.)屬最暢銷品牌行列。中國政府設定了目標，欲到2015年將本土品牌的市場份額增至40%。

But only Japanese brands have disclosed weaker year-over-year sales than the domestic brands in recent months as a territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo soured consumers on Japanese cars and prompted some potential buyers to fear their cars could be vandalized or they could be harassed or even attacked.

這幾個月來，只有日本品牌的同比銷量增速弱於中國國產品牌，原因是中日領土爭端讓中國消費者對日本車感到不快，也令一些潛在買家擔心，怕買了日系車後遭破壞，或受到騷擾甚至攻擊。

Many of China's auto makers have seen strong profit and sales gains, but that is due in large part to joint ventures with foreign-based companies like GM and VW. China's largest auto maker SAIC Motor Corp., +4.03% which has manufacturing ventures with GM and VW, posted a 12.4% year on year sales gain to 4.14 million vehicles in the first 11 months of last year.

中國國內的很多汽車製造商利潤和銷售收入都很強勁，但這在很大程度上要歸功於那些與通用汽車和大衆等外國廠商建立的合資企業。分別與通用和大衆合資的中國最大汽車生產商上海汽車集團股份有限公司(SAIC Motor Corp.)去年前11個月銷售了414萬輛汽車，同比增加12.4%。

China is the largest market for the Volkswagen, with around one in five vehicles sold in the country belonging to the German auto maker. In 2012, the company reached sales of 2.2 million vehicles last year, up 24.8%. Globally it sold around 9.3 million vehicles in the same period. Operating profit at its two Chinese joint ventures jumped 42% last year.

中國是大衆的最大市場，這裏賣出的每五輛車中就約有一輛爲這個德國汽車廠商製造。2012年，大衆在華汽車銷量達到220萬輛，增加了24.8%。同期，該公司在全球售出了約930萬輛。大衆的兩家在華合資企業去年運營利潤大增42%。

Volkswagen this month said it plans to nearly double its annual manufacturing capacity in China, already its largest market, in the next five years to 4 million vehicles. It has said its two Chinese joint ventures would spend nearly $13 billion through 2015 on production and technology expansion. Its robust sales in the country and other emerging markets have helped it largely escape the brunt of Europe's shrinking auto market.

大衆本月說，打算在未來五年將該公司的在華年產能增加約一倍，達到400萬輛。中國目前已是大衆的最大市場。大衆說，旗下的兩家中國合資企業到2015年將在生產和技術擴張方面支出近130億美元。由於中國和其它新興市場的強勁銷售業績，大衆基本上沒有受到歐洲汽車市場萎縮的衝擊。

Volkswagen on Wednesday said it would recall 384,181 vehicles with seven-speed double-clutch transmissions beginning on April 2. Spokesman Christoph Ludewig said the recall would involve changing the electronics in the control unit of the transmissions of recalled cars. John Zeng, a director at LMC Automotive Consulting (Shanghai), estimates such replacement work would cost between 3,000 (about $480) yuan and 10,000 yuan a vehicle.

大衆週三說，將從4月2日起召回384,181輛配備七速雙離合變速箱的車輛。發言人路德維希(Christoph Ludewig)說，將更換召回車輛的變速箱機電單元。據艾爾西汽車市場諮詢（上海）有限公司(LMC Automotive Consulting (Shanghai))總監曾志凌估計，這類更換費用每輛車大概在人民幣3,000元至10,000元之間。

For the other German brands, CCTV cited tests on damping materials in six models, including the Mercedes-Benz C series, E series, BMW 3 series, BMW 5 series, Audi A6 and Audi Q5. One Mercedes-Benz owner named Jin told CCTV that a pungent odor in the car led him to suffer from dizziness, stinging eyes and a sore throat.

央視還提到，對梅賽德斯-奔馳C級和E級轎車、寶馬3系和5系、奧迪A6和Q5等其它德國品牌旗下六種車型的阻尼材料進行了測試。一位金姓奔馳車主對央視記者說，車內刺鼻的氣味讓他舉得頭暈，眼睛刺痛，嗓子也疼。

Still, analysts said it could take much more than the broadcasts to hurt the reputation of foreign brands in China.

儘管如此，分析師仍說，這些報道遠不足以傷害外國品牌在中國的聲譽。

'In spite of growing complaints about Volkswagen's gear boxes, it is still the largest passenger car maker in China,' said LMC Automotive's Mr. Zeng.

曾志凌說，雖然有越來越多關於大衆變速箱的投訴，但大衆仍是中國最大的乘用車製造商。

On China's voluble Twitter-like microblogs, which serve as a national forum for conversation in a country with tight media restrictions, a number of people expressed skepticism about the reports.

微博上有很多網友對上述報道表示質疑。在媒體受到嚴格限制的中國，微博爲中國民衆提供了一個展開話題討論的全國性平臺。

'Consumers of Mercedes and BMW are rich people,' said one, posting under the name Sincerity with Regret. 'Could CCTV pay more attention to the disadvantaged groups in China, such as farmers, and expose more about the companies that cause thousands of farmers to get cancer?'

一位網友說，奔馳和寶馬的消費者都是富人，央視就不能多關注一下中國農民這樣的弱勢羣體嗎？就不能多曝光那些導致數千名農民患癌的公司嗎？

Another blogger wrote: 'I am more concerned with the low-end cars that Chinese civilians buy, and what is the material they use in these cars? I hope that CCTV doesn't avoid such issues.'

另一位網友在微博上寫道，我更關心中國百姓買的低端車，這些車裏用的是什麼材料？希望央視不要回避這類問題。