中國討論將高鐵賣給美國
State-owned Chinese firms are in discussions to sell high-speed trains to the UnitedStates, senior officials said on Thursday, a deal that would be likely to ignite controversy.
國有的中國公司正在討論將高鐵賣給美國,一名高級官員週四説,這樣的交易可能會引發爭議。China'sleaders have been promoting the country's fast rail technologies in meetingswith foreign politicians as they seek to move the country's exports up thevalue chain, and Chinese companies are building high-speed rail networks inTurkey and Venezuela.
在與外國政治家會談時中國領導人總是向他們推銷中國的高鐵技術,他們想讓自己的出口產品進入價值鏈的頂端,而且中國公司正在土耳其和委內瑞拉建造高鐵。But a contract for a Chinese-led consortium to build a high-speed rail line in Mexicowas scrapped only days after it was signed, and a deal to supply subway trains to Boston also generated controversy.
之前,由中國人領導的一家財團競標獲得墨西哥高鐵項目後,沒過幾天就被墨西哥政府取消了,以及向波士頓提供地鐵車廂的交易也引發了爭議。
For China to build infrastructure in the United States -- where a number of high-speed rail proposals have come to naught -- or supply it with rolling stock would be politically sensitive.
對於中國來説,在美國建造基礎設施或者向美國提供軌道車輛,在政治上是非常敏感的。在美國,好幾個高鐵提議都失敗了。But Zhi Luxun, a senior official with the commerce ministry's foreign trade department, told AFP Thursday: "There are currently discussions with the United States."
但是中國商務部外貿司的一位高級官員支陸遜週四對法新社説:“現在正與美國在談判中。”He wasresponding to a question about possible Chinese exports of high-speed trains.
他在被問及中國是否可能向美國出口高鐵時如是説道。Officialsdid not provide further details and said it was a matter for the companiesconcerned.
官員們沒有提供更多的細節,稱這是相關企業自己的事情。Anumber of high-speed rail projects are under consideration in the United States including in Texas and Florida, but only one has entered the early stages of construction-- in California, under a Spanish consortium -- while others have fallen by the wayside.
在美國,有一些高鐵項目正在考慮中,包括了德克薩斯州和佛羅里達的,但是隻有一個開始了建造,即加州的,由一個西班牙財團建造。而其他的項目已經半途而廢。Only begun in 1999, China's high-speed rail network has quickly become the largest in the world, with more than 16,000 kilometres of track in service last year,Zhi said during a briefing.
中國高鐵於1999年開始出現,如今,中國的高鐵網絡已經成為世界第一,去年,中國的高鐵里程就達到了16000公里。The country is also negotiating with Russia, Laos and Thailand on construction ofhigh-speed rail lines there, said Zhou Zhenwu, an official with the commerceministry's department of outward investment and economic cooperation.
中國還正在與俄羅斯,老撾,以及泰國進行高鐵建設談判,商務部對外投資和經濟合作司的一名官員稱。China's railway equipment exports increased by 34.7 percent annually from $80 millionin 2001 to $3.74 billion last year, Zhi said.
2001年到去年期間,中國鐵路設備出口年均增長34.7%,2001年為8000萬美元,去年達到了37.4億美元。