中資繼續涌入澳大利亞樓市 Chinese seek to boost investment in Australia property

Australia approved $24bn Chinese property investments in 2014–15, double the value in the previous year, reflecting surging demand for overseas real estate even as Beijing’s economy cools.

澳大利亞在2014-15年度批准了240億美元來自中國的房地產投資，比上年增加一倍，反映出即便中國經濟降溫，中資對海外房地產的需求仍飆漲。

Figures published over the weekend by Australia’s foreign investment review board also show increases in the value of approvals for Chinese investments in agriculture, finance and manufacturing. China is Australia’s biggest foreign investor with A$46.5bn approvals, almost double the number two-ranked US’s A$25bn. Total foreign investment approvals were A$194bn last year, up from A$167bn in the year to end-June 2014.

澳大利亞外國投資審查委員會(FIRB)週末發佈的數字還顯示，獲批投資於澳大利亞農業、金融和製造業的中資也有所增加。中國是澳大利亞最大的外國投資者，獲批金額總計465億澳元，幾乎兩倍於位列第二的美國（250億澳元）。去年獲批的外國投資總計1940億澳元，高於截至2014年6月底的上一年度的1670億澳元。

China’s investment in the US and Europe is also at record highs, underlining Beijing’s growing importance in supporting global growth and as a source of inward investment.

中國對美國和歐洲的投資也處於創紀錄高位，突顯北京方面在支持全球經濟增長和作爲外來投資來源方面的重要性與日俱增。

The Firb data suggest fears of waning Chinese flows because of slowing economic growth, increasing capital controls and tighter Australian regulatory scrutiny may be overdone.

澳大利亞外國投資審查委員會的數據似乎表明，對於中國資金流入因中國經濟增長放緩、資本管制加強以及澳大利亞監管審查收緊而減弱的擔憂可能過頭了。

However, economists caution that the data, which covers the period to end-June 2015, misses any recent slowdown in foreign property investment. Moreover, not all approved deals materialise: a study of completed deals by KPMG and University of Sydney found Chinese investment in Australia, excluding residential property, fell to US$8.35bn in 2014, from US$9.19bn in 2013.

不過，經濟學家們告誡稱，這些數據截至2015年6月底，錯過了近期外資對澳大利亞房地產投資的放緩。此外，並非所有獲批的交易都會真正實現。畢馬威(KPMG)和悉尼大學(University of Sydney)對完成交易的一項研究發現，若剔除住宅物業，中國對澳大利亞的投資在2014年降至83.5億美元，低於2013年的91.9億美元。

“There is evidence that the Chinese authorities are placing informal or de facto controls on people attempting to take money out of the country and this may be having an impact,” says Saul Eslake, an independent economist. “It may be one of the reasons that recent data covering the past six months shows a fall off in building approvals for new apartments. Banks have also tightened lending requirements on all investors and this is probably a factor.”

“有證據表明，中國當局正對企圖把資金轉移到境外的人士實施非正式或事實上的管制，而此舉可能正在產生影響，”獨立經濟學家索爾•埃斯雷克(Saul Eslake)表示。“這可能是覆蓋過去6個月的近期數據顯示新公寓建築審批大幅下降的原因之一。銀行也收緊了針對所有投資者的放貸要求，這很可能也是一個因素。”

This week Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s prime minister, will follow in the footsteps of other world leaders by leading the country’s largest trade mission to China. Together with 1,000 business executives he will focus on increasing Australia trade with China, which was worth A$150bn in 2015.

本週澳大利亞總理馬爾科姆•特恩布爾(Malcolm Turnbull)將跟隨世界其他領導人的腳步，親率澳大利亞最大的貿易代表團訪問中國。在1000名企業高管的陪同下，他將聚焦於擴大澳中經貿往來；2015年澳中貿易規模達到1500億澳元。

However, the trade mission takes place amid growing public unease about the rising tide of Chinese investment in residential property, public infrastructure and agriculture which has prompted Canberra to tighten foreign investment rules and boost scrutiny of deals.

然而，澳大利亞貿易代表團訪華之際，澳大利亞公衆對中資不斷涌入該國住宅物業、公共基礎設施和農業日益不安，來自中國的投資激增已促使堪培拉方面收緊外國投資規則，並加強對具體交易的審查。

In November Canberra blocked a proposed A$350m purchase of S Kidman & Co — a company controlling Australian farmland that is three quarters of the size of England — by Shanghai Pengxin, citing concerns about the scale of the land deal and proximity to a missile testing site.

去年11月，堪培拉方面阻止上海鵬欣收購基德曼公司(S Kidman & Co)——該公司控制的澳大利亞農場面積相當於四分之三個英格蘭——的3.5億澳元交易，並說明理由是擔心這筆土地交易的規模及其靠近一個導彈試驗場。

Last month Canberra responded to security concerns raised by the sale of Darwin port to Chinese company Landbridge by requiring Firb approval for future infrastructure sales by states.

上月，堪培拉方面對達爾文港被租給中資的嵐橋集團(Landbridge)所引發的安全擔憂作出迴應，要求未來各州出售基礎設施須由外國投資審查委員會審批。

But many remain bullish about Chinese investment continuing in residential property.

但是，許多人仍然看好中國對澳大利亞住宅物業的投資。

“China’s immense pent-up demand for international property is driving this trend,” said Charles Pittar, chief executive of , one of China’s biggest international property websites. “China bears who claimed Chinese investment was falling off a cliff are badly informed.”

“中國對國際物業的巨大被壓抑需求正在推動這一趨勢，”中國最大的國際房地產網站之一“居外網”()的首席執行官查爾斯•皮塔(Charles Pittar)表示。“聲稱中國投資正在掉下懸崖的看跌中國者消息太不靈通了。”

This wave of Chinese money flooding into the Sydney and Melbourne property markets has sparked a debate over the impact on the local housing market. Some say it is forcing up prices and preventing first time buyers from buying houses or apartments. Others say it is driving a building boom, which is supporting an economy suffering from the commodities bust.

涌入悉尼和墨爾本房地產市場的中國資金洪流，引發了圍繞其對當地樓市衝擊的辯論。有人說中資正在推高價格，阻止當地的首次購房者購買獨立屋或公寓。還有人說，中資正在推動一場建設熱潮，支撐着正在遭受大宗商品低迷衝擊的澳大利亞經濟。

Canberra has stepped up scrutiny of overseas buyers, ordering the sale of 27 properties worth A$76m, which it says broke laws requiring foreigners to receive regulatory approval for purchases of existing properties.

堪培拉方面已經加大了針對海外買家的審查力度，強制海外買家出售27處物業，總價值7600萬澳元，稱這些交易違反了要求購買現有房產的外國人獲得監管批准的法律。