美國議員呼籲審查博通收購高通交易

Broadcom has come under scrutiny from US lawmakers as it tries to clinch a takeover of rival Qualcomm, with pressure mounting for a US government panel to open an investigation into the potential transaction.

博通(Broadcom)在試圖收購其競爭對手高通(Qualcomm)時受到了美國立法者的密切關注，美國政府的一個專家小組面臨越來越大的壓力，要求其對這宗潛在的交易展開調查。

John Cornyn, the second ranking Republican in the Senate, called on the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US to “promptly review” Broadcom’s proposal before a critical March 6 meeting of Qualcomm shareholders, when they will vote on a slate of directors nominated by the Singapore-based group.

參議院共和黨二號人物約翰?科寧(John Cornyn)呼籲美國外國投資委員會（Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States，簡稱CFIUS）在3月6日高通的一次關鍵的股東會議前“迅速審查”博通的提議，股東會議上高通股東將對總部位於新加坡的博通提名的董事名單進行表決。

In a letter to Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday seen by the Financial Times, Mr Cornyn wrote that it would be “deeply concerning” if a foreign company could take control of a US group through a proxy fight without first gaining Cfius approval.

英國《金融時報》(Financial Times)看到了一封科寧在週一寫給美國財政部長史蒂文?姆努欽(Steven Mnuchin)的信，科寧寫道，如果一家外國企業在沒有獲得CFIUS批准的情況下，通過一場代理人爭奪戰就控制了一個美國集團，那將“令人深感擔憂”。

Broadcom has sought to oust a majority of Qualcomm’s 11-person board at the company’s annual meeting next week, which could tip the balance for its $142bn proposed deal in the group’s favour.

博通試圖在下週高通的年度會議上罷免高通11人董事會中的大多數董事，這可能會使其提出的1420億美元的收購朝着有利於他們的方向傾斜。

While Qualcomm this week said the two sides had made some progress on a deal, it found the price tag too low. Qualcomm is willing to agree to a deal that values the company at more than $160bn, according to people involved in the negotiations.

儘管高通本週表示，其與博通在達成交易上取得了一些進展，但覺得價格太低了。據參與談判的人士透露，高通如果得到超過1600億美元的估值，就願意同意收購。

Mr Cornyn also drew a line to Huawei — the telecoms equipment maker that US government agencies have warned poses a national security risk — writing that divestitures in a Broadcom-Qualcomm deal would likely let the Chinese company “win the race” for 5G technology, the next generation network standard.

科寧還提到了華爲(Huawei)——美國政府機構警告說，這家電信設備製造商威脅到了美國的國家安全。科寧寫道，博通-高通交易中的資產剝離，可能會讓這家中國公司“贏得”下一代網絡標準5G技術的競爭。

“Any disruption in Qualcomm’s business as a result of the hostile takeover could have the effect of significantly disadvantaging the United States, and on that basis alone, Cfius should evaluate whether prospective control of Qualcomm by Broadcom raises any risks to US national security,” he said.

科寧稱：“高通的業務因敵意收購而出現任何中斷，都會對美國造成嚴重不利的影響，僅基於此，CFIUS就應該評估博通對高通的可能控制是否會給美國國家安全帶來風險。”

Reuters on Monday reported that Cfius had met last month to discuss the possible deal between Broadcom and Qualcomm, and has been in touch with at least one of the companies.

路透社(Reuters)週一報道，CFIUS上個月曾召開會議，討論博通和高通之間可能會達成的交易，並至少與其中一家公司取得了聯繫。

A Broadcom spokesperson said: “Cfius is not implicated unless a corporation comes under the ‘control’ of a foreign person. As Broadcom’s CEO Hock Tan announced from the Oval Office last November, Broadcom is committed to reincorporating from Singapore to the US, and expects to receive the required approvals to do so by the end of Broadcom’s fiscal second quarter.”

博通的一位發言人稱：“除非一家公司要被某個外國人‘控制’，否則不會牽涉到CFIUS。正如博通首席執行官陳福陽（Hock Tan，文首圖中）去年11月在橢圓形辦公室宣佈的那樣，博通正努力將公司總部從新加坡遷到美國，預期將在博通第二財季結束前獲得所需的批准。”

Qualcomm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

高通沒有立即迴應置評請求。

The call from senator Cornyn followed a letter to US President Donald Trump from congressman Duncan Hunter, who called on the White House to block a hostile takeover of Qualcomm. There have been growing bipartisan concerns in Washington over the need to protect the US’s high-tech industry from foreign investors, particularly from China.

在參議員科寧發出上述呼籲前，美國國會衆議員鄧肯?亨特(Duncan Hunter)給美國總統唐納德?特朗普(Donald Trump)寫了一封信，他呼籲白宮阻止對高通的敵意收購。華盛頓越來越多的兩黨人士認爲需要保護美國的高科技產業不被外國投資者收購，特別是來自中國的投資者。

Mr Cornyn is leading efforts, backed by the Trump administration, to give Cfius greater powers to review inbound investments in tech start-ups as well as outbound investments by US companies into countries like China where they are often forced to enter joint ventures with local partners and share proprietary technologies.

在特朗普政府的支持下，科寧領導着一項努力，要賦予CFIUS更大的權力去審查對科技初創企業的外來投資，以及美國企業對中國等國的投資，在這些國家，美國企業往往被迫與當地的合作伙伴建立合資企業，分享專有技術。

US authorities have long been sensitive to foreign investments in chip manufacturers and any deal — even one involving a US ally like Singapore — was always likely to attract the scrutiny of Cfius, an inter-agency panel that reviews investments for national security reasons.

長期以來，美國當局對外資投資美國的芯片製造商一直很敏感，任何交易——即便一方是新加坡這樣的美國盟友——都可能引發CFIUS的關注，該委員會是一個跨機構小組，負責以國家安全爲由進行投資審查。

Cfius last week rejected a $580m deal for Massachusetts-based semiconductor testing company Xcerra by a Chinese state-backed fund.

上週，CFIUS否決了一家中國政府背景的基金以5.8億美元收購馬薩諸塞州半導體測試公司Xcerra。

Cfius experts say whether the committee has jurisdiction may come into question. The inter-agency committee, chaired by secretary Mnuchin, only has jurisdiction over deals involving foreign investments in the US. But the Singapore-owned chipmaker is in the process of moving its headquarters back to the US with chief executive Tan joining Mr Trump in the Oval Office last November to announce the move just days before launching his bid for Qualcomm.

CFIUS的專家表示，該委員會是否有管轄權可能會引起質疑。這家由財政部長姆努欽擔任主席的跨機構委員會，只對涉及外國在美投資的交易具有管轄權。但博通這家新加坡芯片製造商正在將總部遷到美國，去年11月其首席執行官陳福陽在橢圓形辦公室與特朗普會面時宣佈了這一舉動，幾天後，博通才向高通提出收購。

That move was seen by analysts as a way to avoid potential political objections.

分析人士認爲，此舉是避免潛在政治反對的一種方式。

Broadcom also won US antitrust approval last November for its $5.9bn takeover of Brocade, a US network gear supplier.

去年11月，博通以59億美元收購美國網絡設備供應商博科(Brocade)的交易還獲得了美國反壟斷部門的批准。