亞投行將資助中亞公路項目 China led bank approves funds for projects along new Silk Road

China’s flagship international development bank is hoping to pave a new Silk Road, with at least three of its initial projects focused on transport arteries in central Asia and Pakistan.

中國的旗艦國際開發銀行正希望鋪設一條新的絲綢之路，其首批項目中至少有三個聚焦於中亞和巴基斯坦的交通要道。

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will help fund a highway in Pakistan, an expressway from Tajikistan’s capital to the border with Uzbekistan, and a ring road in Almaty, Kazakhstan, according to people with knowledge of the projects and tender documents.

據瞭解相關項目和招標文件的人士介紹，亞洲基礎設施投資銀行(AIIB)將幫助資助巴基斯坦的一條公路，從塔吉克斯坦首都至該國與烏茲別克斯坦邊境的一條高速公路，以及哈薩克斯坦阿拉木圖(Almaty，見上圖)的一條環路。

The AIIB was formally launched in January after attracting dozens of Asian and European member countries, many of them US allies that ignored Washington’s concerns about the emergence of a Chinese rival to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

亞投行是在今年1月正式啓動的，此前該行吸引了亞洲和歐洲的數十個成員國，其中許多國家是美國的盟國，它們沒有理會華盛頓方面對於中國主導的機構叫板世界銀行(World Bank)和亞洲開發銀行(ADB)的顧慮。

In an effort to counter the Obama administration’s initial criticism, the AIIB has said it will enforce governance standards on a par with those at the World Bank and ADB. Last week Jin Liqun, AIIB president, and his World Bank counterpart signed a framework agreement to work together on co-finance projects. The AIIB expects to approve about $1.2bn in financing this year, including about a dozen projects with the World Bank that have not yet been announced.

爲了迴應奧巴馬政府最初的批評，亞投行已表態稱，它將執行與世行和亞開行同等水平的治理標準。上週，亞投行行長金立羣和世行行長簽署了一項框架協議，使兩家機構能夠開展合作，共同爲項目融資。亞投行預計今年將批准約12億美元融資，其中包括十幾個與世行合作的尚未宣佈的項目。

The AIIB will also co-finance projects with the Washington and Tokyo-led ADB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the UK Department for International Development. Japan was the only major US ally to refuse Beijing’s invitation to join the AIIB.

亞投行還將同美國和日本主導的亞開行、歐洲復興開發銀行(EBRD)以及英國國際發展部(DFID)共同爲項目融資。日本是美國主要盟友中唯一沒有接受中方加入亞投行邀請的國家。

In Pakistan, the AIIB will join the ADB and Department for International Development to fund a 64km stretch of road connecting Shorkot to Khanewal, according to a tender document.

根據一份招標文件，亞投行將在巴基斯坦聯手亞開行和英國國際發展部，爲一條連接紹爾果德(Shorkot)和哈內瓦爾(Khanewal)的64公里長公路提供建設資金。

The ADB-led project’s terms were recently revised to allow the AIIB to participate. Under its guidelines, the AIIB can only fund projects open to companies from all countries, while the ADB restricts participation to bidders from its member nations.

由亞開行牽頭的這個項目最近修訂了條款，以便讓亞投行參與。根據其指導原則，亞投行只能向對所有國家的企業都開放的項目提供資金，而亞開行規定只有其成員國的企業才能投標。

But the ADB will not cede its lead role. “ADB is the lead financing partner for the project and administers it on behalf of the other co-financiers,” the tender document said. “Bidding shall be carried out in accordance with ADB’s procurement guidelines and procedures.”

但是，亞開行不會讓出其牽頭角色。“亞開行是項目的牽頭融資夥伴，並代表其他共同出資方管理項目，”招標文件稱。“招標將按照亞開行的採購準則和程序進行。”

In Tajikistan, the AIIB will join the ADB and EBRD to help fund a road between the country’s capital, Dushanbe, and Tursunzoda on the Uzbekistan border. The third transport link that the AIIB is expected to help fund is the Bakad Ring Road, a joint World Bank-EBRD project in Kazakhstan’s commercial capital, Almaty.

在塔吉克斯坦，亞投行將聯手亞開行和歐洲復興開發銀行，幫助爲連接該國首都杜尚別(Dushanbe)至與烏茲別克斯坦接壤的圖爾孫扎德(Tursunzoda)的一條公路提供建設資金。預計亞投行將會參與出資的第三個交通項目是Bakad環路，這是世行和歐洲復興開發銀行在哈薩克斯坦商業之都阿拉木圖的一個聯合項目。

All three projects will receive preliminary approval from the AIIB’s investment committee before the end of this month, according to two people familiar with the process, followed by a formal go-ahead from the bank’s board in June. The AIIB declined to comment.

據兩名熟悉相關過程的人士稱，這三個項目將在本月底之前獲得亞投行投資委員會初步批准，隨後在6月獲得該行董事會的正式批准。亞投行拒絕置評。