澳大利亞收緊外資收購基建項目審查

Australia is tightening scrutiny of sales of ports, electricity networks and other key public infrastructure to foreign investors following a backlash sparked by the controversial lease of Darwin port to a Chinese company.

澳大利亞開始收緊對外國投資者購買本國港口、電力網絡以及其他關鍵公共基礎設施的審查。此前，達爾文港被出租給一家中國企業惹爭議，引發了強烈抵制。

“From March 31, the Foreign Investment Review Board will formally review critical infrastructure assets sold by state and territory government,” said Scott Morrison, Australia’s treasurer.

“從3月31日開始，外國投資審查委員會(Firb)將正式對被州和領地批准的關鍵基礎設施出售項目進行審查，”澳大利亞財政部長斯科特•莫里森(Scott Morrison)表示。

He said the process would ensure future sales to privately-owned investors are properly scrutinised, citing the looming sales of Melbourne and Utah Point ports, and New South Wales electricity networks as examples.

他說，審查程序將保證，未來資產被民營企業收購時會得到合適的審查。他列舉了墨爾本港和Utah Point港、以及新南威爾士電網即將被出售的例子。

China’s investment in the US, Europe and Australia is at record highs in spite of its economic slowdown, prompting increasing scrutiny from regulators around the world.

儘管經濟增長在放慢，但中國企業對美國、歐洲和澳大利亞的投資達到創紀錄高位，導致全球各地監管機構實施更多審查。

Until now, sales of public infrastructure by Australian states or territories were only scrutinised by Firb when they were purchased by foreign state-owned enterprises, not private companies. This enabled China’s Landbridge Group last year to pay A$506m to secure a 99-year lease to operate Darwin port — a strategically important area as US marines are stationed at a nearby naval base — without a formal review by Firb.

直到目前，澳大利亞各州和領地只有把公共基礎設施出售給外國國企而非民企的時候，纔會受到外國投資審查委員會的審查。結果，在未經外國投資審查委員會正式審查的情況下，去年中國的嵐橋集團(Landbridge)斥資5.06億澳元，獲得了經營達爾文港99年的租約。達爾文港是一個具有重要戰略意義的地點，因爲該港附近的一處海軍基地駐紮着美國海軍陸戰隊。

An interim report by a parliamentary investigation into the foreign investment framework, which was sparked by the lease of Darwin port to Landbridge, found the Firb process “appears to be ad hoc, run on a case by case basis” and the regulatory body needed to be strengthened.

達爾文港被出租給嵐橋集團，推動澳大利亞國會對外資投資框架進行了一次調查。調查結果顯示，外國投資審查委員“似乎是根據一案一議原則，進行隨機的審查，”該監管機構的職能需要得到加強。

Two Chinese companies: State Grid Corporation of China; China Southern Power Grid; plus Hong Kong’s Cheung Kong Infrastructure are reported to be assessing A$10bn plus bids to buy a controlling stake in Ausgrid, Australia’s biggest electricity distribution company.

據報道，兩家中國公司——國家電網公司(State Grid Corporation of China)和中國南方電網(China Southern Power Grid)——以及香港的長江基建(Cheung Kong Infrastructure)正考慮出資逾100億澳元參與競標，收購澳大利亞最大配電企業Ausgrid的控股股權。

Mr Morrison denied that tighter scrutiny of foreign investment would deter Chinese bidders, saying they were savvy investors and understood that all countries have foreign investment rules.

澳大利亞財長莫里森否認加強外資審查會讓中國企業打消競標的念頭，他表示，中國企業是精明的投資者，他們知道所有國家都有外國投資審查規則。