澳以國家安全爲由阻止中企收購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.
澳大利亞出於國家安全考慮，決定阻止一筆逾100億澳元（合74.7億美元）的、將該國最大電網企業的控股權出售給兩家中國企業的交易。
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.
這一初步決定反映出，在不久前的選舉過後，澳民衆和政界對中國企業投資澳關鍵基礎設施和農地的規模之大感到不安。中國投資在世界其他地方也引發了這種不安。
“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.
澳大利亞財長斯科特•莫里森(Scott Morrison)週四表示：“要特別指出的是，在審查過程中，（當局）認定Ausgrid向企業和政府提供的關鍵電力與通信服務中存在國家安全問題。”
“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.
他接着說：“當然，我願意考慮競標者提交給我的東西，但在現階段，從提議的交易結構來看，沒有看出有哪些合適的措施可妥善化解我們認定的那些風險、緩解我們的擔憂。”
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
莫里森對記者們堅稱，儘管決定阻止這筆交易，但澳政府仍對外國投資持歡迎態度。在這筆交易中，州政府是以租讓99年的形式出售這些股權的。
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.
國有的中國國家電網公司（State Grid Corporation，簡稱：國家電網）以及香港大亨李嘉誠(Li ka-shing)控制的長江基建(Cheung Kong Infrastructure)，都提交了以逾100億澳元收購新南威爾士州電力集團Ausgrid 50.4%股權的報價。並無澳本土企業參與這筆已被政府上述決定打亂的私有化交易。
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.”
長江基建在一份迴應澳方決定的聲明中稱：“集團相信澳洲政府今日之公佈背後實有難言之隱。箇中原因與長江基建無關。”
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.
中國在美國、歐洲和澳大利亞的投資已達到創紀錄水平，突顯出中國作爲全球增長驅動力以及外來投資源頭的重要性日益上升。但這正引發各國監管機構的密切關注，包括澳大利亞。澳財長莫里森近期還阻止了將大型養牛場基德曼公司(S Kidman & Co)出售給一家中資集團的交易。
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這筆擬議中的售股交易還招致獨立議員的尖銳批評。由於現政府在7月極其激烈的大選中僅獲得超半數1個席位的多數，這些獨立議員在議會中擁有了更大的話語權。波琳•漢森(Pauline Hanson)的單一民族黨(One Nation party)和謝諾峯團隊黨(Nick Xenophon Team)都公開反對將Ausgrid出售給外國買家。這兩黨在參議院合計控制7個席位。
“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.
格里菲斯大學(Griffith University)政治學講師鄧肯•麥克唐奈(Duncan McDonnell)說：“這一決定或許預示着，鑑於議會的新政治現實，聯合政府在向外資開放及自由貿易方面開始出現後退。”
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.
新南威爾士州政府表示，有信心及時找到另一個買家，以便下個州預算案中能錄入這筆交易的所得。但由於缺少本土競標者，出售過程很可能延遲，籌到的現金也不會有那麼多。
Australia’s business lobby and some politicians are becoming increasingly concerned that foreign investment has become a political football, which risks damaging the economy.
澳大利亞商業遊說團體及一些政治人士越來越擔心，外國投資已變成一個“政治皮球”，那樣的話可能會給該國經濟造成傷害。
