特朗普對中國放軟身段讓在華美企寬慰
President Donald Trump’s softening stance towards China has eased the worst fears of American businesses in the country about the prospects of a trade war, prompting US executives to refocus their attention on a drive to ease Chinese investment restrictions.
唐納德?特朗普(Donald Trump)總統對中國放軟身段緩解了在華經營的美國企業對於貿易戰爭前景的最大擔心，讓美國高管們重新聚焦於推動中國放鬆投資限制的努力。“I don’t think [trade tariffs] are going to be one of the top priorities because my sense is the administration has probably seen this may not be the most effective way to apply pressure,” William Zarit, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, told reporters in the Chinese capital on Tuesday. He called it a “hot topic” during his earlier meetings in Washington but said it was no longer a serious option.
“我不認爲（貿易關稅）會成爲最優先的事項之一，因爲我的感覺是特朗普政府很可能認爲，這也許不是施加壓力的最有效方式，”中國美國商會(American Chamber of Commerce in China)主席蔡瑞德(William Zarit)週二在中國首都對記者們表示。他之前在華盛頓開會期間稱其爲一個“火熱的話題”，但表示它已不再是一個嚴肅選項。“The administration is looking for a number of other points of leverage and points of pressure to apply to the Chinese to persuade China to open their markets and level the playing field,” Mr Zarit said.
“特朗普政府正在尋找一些別的槓桿點和壓力點，用於說服中國開放市場和營造公平競爭環境，”蔡瑞德表示。
When China-based US executives meet members of the US Congress next month, they intend to revive a plan for a bilateral investment treaty. As recently as February, the anxious executives rushed to Washington for urgent meetings with the Trump administration to counter the threat of 45 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made goods.
當常駐中國的美國高管下月會晤美國國會議員時，他們打算重啓一個談判達成雙邊投資條約的計劃。就在2月份，這些焦急的高管還匆匆趕到華盛頓與特朗普政府緊急磋商，以化解後者對中國製造商品徵收45%關稅的威脅。President Trump ran on a ticket that emphasised measures to protect US manufacturers, a policy that alarmed China-based US businesses. Peter Navarro, Mr Trump’s pick to direct the new National Trade Office, is a well-known hawk on China, and has been one of the biggest proponents of high import tariffs on Chinese products.
特朗普總統的競選綱領注重保護美國製造商的措施，這一政策令在華美國企業震驚。在白宮新設立的國家貿易委員會(National Trade Council)，特朗普任命的主席彼得?納瓦羅(Peter Navarro)是出名的對華鷹派，也一直是對中國輸美產品徵收高額進口關稅的最大倡導者之一。Those fears have abated since Mr Trump backed off from several campaign trail commitments. In an about-face, he announced last week that he would not label China a currency manipulator and has tweeted that he would offer China trade concessions if it helped defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula.
自特朗普在幾項競選承諾上食言以來，這些恐懼已經減輕。美國總統上週做出的一個立場逆轉是宣佈不會把中國列爲匯率操縱國。他還發表推文稱，如果中國幫助化解朝鮮半島緊張局勢，他將向中國作出貿易讓步。“The reality check is what seems good on the campaign trail is really not the most important in priorities,” said Lester Ross, a lawyer and chairman for AmCham Beijing’s policy committee.
“現實證明，競選時期貌似美好的承諾實在算不上最重要的事項，”律師、中國美國商會政策委員會主席萊斯特?羅斯(Lester Ross)表示。
Instead, American businesses are focusing on amending what they see as an unequal investment relationship. For example, American carmakers must form joint ventures with a 50 per cent foreign equity cap to invest in China, whereas Chinese motor groups face no such restrictions in the US.
相反，美國企業正聚焦於改變他們認爲不平等的投資關係。例如，美國汽車製造商如果要在中國投資，就必須組建合資企業，還要面對50%的外資股權上限，而中國汽車集團在美國沒有受到這樣的限制。The Obama administration was in the process of negotiating a shorter “negative list” of investment areas off-limits to foreign investors in China. The list was part of an overall bilateral investment treaty designed to simplify and promote US investment in China.
奧巴馬政府曾經在與中方談判一份更短的“負面清單”，該清單列出中國不對境外投資者開放的投資領域。這份清單是一項全面的雙邊投資條約的一部分，旨在簡化和促進美國在華投資。Yet those negotiations have stalled under the new administration. Key trade positions, including those in the International Trade Commission, continue to go unfilled more than three months into the president’s term.
然而，這些談判在特朗普上任後陷入停滯。在他就任三個多月後的今天，一些關鍵的貿易職位，包括美國國際貿易委員會(ITC)的關鍵職位，仍未任命人選。
