讀者來信 英國退歐後亟需英中自貿協定

Sir, Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to Britain, was reported last week as encouraging a China-UK free trade agreement.

據報道，上週中國駐英大使劉曉明鼓勵英中兩國簽署自由貿易協定(FTA)。

This should not be allowed to pass as merely another diplomatic statement.

我們不應把這個僅僅視爲又一個外交聲明，就讓此事過去了。

Brexit requires the UK to make its own way in the world, and a China-UK FTA is a real positive policy direction.

退歐之後，英國必須自己謀出路，中英自貿協定是一個真正積極的政策方向。

China shows willing to embark on an FTA.

中國展示出了着手達成自貿協定的意願。

Brexit enables the UK to avoid the various obstacles the EU has thrown up to an EU-China FTA for various internal political reasons, perhaps most remarkably resistance even to a feasibility study for an FTA.

退歐使得英國可以避開歐盟(EU)出於種種內部政治理由而爲歐中自貿協定設置的種種障礙——其中最爲明顯的障礙或許是，歐盟甚至對歐中自貿協定的可行性研究都進行抵制。

The UK is currently well positioned vis-à-vis China given its acceptance of China having market economy status, the welcome to renminbi markets by the City and the initiative to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

英國現在相對中國處於有利的談判地位，因爲英國承認中國的市場經濟地位，倫敦金融城(the City)對人民幣市場持歡迎態度，而且英國主動加入了亞投行(AIIB)。

There are areas of potential difficulty.

在若干個領域可能存在棘手的問題。

China has red lines regarding arbitration, intellectual property and trade unions.

中國在仲裁、知識產權和工會方面劃有紅線。

These will require careful navigation.

這些都需要謹慎處理。

It is true that FTA negotiations can be difficult and time-consuming but experience teaches that where the political will is present on both sides swift acceleration to completing an FTA is achievable.

誠然，自貿協定談判可能會耗時耗力，但經驗告訴我們，只要雙方都有政治意願，迅速達成一項自貿協定就是可以辦到的。

Liam Fox, the UK’s international trade secretary, may recognise as a generality that the UK’s opportunities for trade with China are enormous.

英國國際貿易大臣利亞姆•福克斯(Liam Fox)也許承認，籠統地講對華貿易給英國帶來的機會是巨大的。

The priority for concrete progress, however, must be a China-UK FTA to come into force the day after Brexit.

但如果想取得具體的進展，當務之急必須是在英國退歐的次日就讓一份英中自貿協定生效。

Lord Davidson

戴維森勳爵(Lord Davidson)