李克强敦促欧盟与中国达成双边投资协定

China’s premier, Li Keqiang, has criticised investmentflows between the EU and China as “hardlysatisfactory and made a strong appeal for the earlyconclusion of a bilateral treaty that would giveChinese companies a smoother path to acquiringEuropean counterparts.

中国总理李克强批评欧盟和中国之间的投资流动“难以令人满意，同时强烈呼吁及早缔结一份双边条约，从而让中国企业在收购欧洲同行时能够更加顺畅地进行。

Mr Li, who yesterday was in Brussels to co-chair the17th China-EU summit, also called for the two sidesto start a feasibility study for a free trade area to resist protectionism and boost connectivitybetween Asia and Europe.

昨日在布鲁塞尔出席第17次中国欧盟领导人会晤的李克强，还呼吁双方就设立一个自由贸易区开展可行性研究，以抵制保护主义，促进亚洲和欧洲的相互往来。

“The scale of two-way investment, a mere $20bn or less in 2014, is hardly satisfactory giventhe big size of the Chinese and EU economies and the huge volume of two-way trade, Mr Lisaid in written answers to questions from the Financial Times and several other Europeannewspapers.

“考虑到中国和欧盟经济的巨大规模，以及庞大的双向贸易量，2014年最多只有200亿美元的双向投资规模难以令人满意，李克强在书面答复英国《金融时报》和其他一些欧洲报刊的问题时表示。

“If a comprehensive, balanced and high-standard investment treaty could be reached early, itwill bring opportunity for both sides to combine their respective strengths and form a newpattern of co-operation, Mr Li added, noting that EU-China trade exceeds $1.7bn a day.

“如果一项全面、平衡和高标准的投资协定可以早日达成，它将带来机遇，让双方结合各自的优势，形成新的合作格局，李克强补充说。他指出，欧盟与中国之间的日均贸易额超过17亿美元。

Chinese companies, beset by rising costs and eroding competitiveness in a slowing domesticmarket, are scouring Europe for acquisition targets to boost technology and brand values. Aninvestment treaty, analysts said, would smooth the path to more EU acquisitions and otherdirect investments by Chinese companies.

在不断放缓的本土市场受到成本上升及竞争力下降困扰的中国企业，正纷纷在欧洲寻觅收购目标，以提升品牌价值和技术水平。分析师们表示，一份投资条约将为中国企业在欧盟进行更多收购和其他直接投资铺平道路。

But there is also a geopolitical dimension to Mr Li’s overture stemming from Beijing’s concernsthat two large impending global trade deals threaten to sideline China.

但是，李克强伸出的橄榄枝也有地缘政治含义，它们源自北京方面对于两项即将来临的全球贸易协定可能排挤中国的担心。

Last week, Barack Obama, US president, won the legislative powers he needed to finalise theTrans-Pacific Partnership — the biggest trade deal in a generation — between the US, Japan and10 other countries. Concluding the TPP is expected to build momentum for the TTIP, theproposed EU-US trade and investment pact. US and EU trade officials are pushing the deals asone way for America and Europe to maintain their grip on the technical and regulatorystandards that form the backbone of trade accords.

上周，美国总统巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)赢得了他在美国、日本和另外10个国家之间达成一代人以来最大贸易协定——《跨太平洋伙伴关系》(Trans-Pacific Partnership，简称TPP)所需的立法授权。预计TPP的达成将加强《跨大西洋贸易与投资伙伴关系协定》(Transatlantic Trade and InvestmentPartnership，简称TTIP)谈判的势头。美国和欧盟贸易官员力推这一协定，称其是让美国和欧洲保持对技术和监管标准(此类标准构成贸易协定的主干)的掌控的一种方式。

Keen not to be left out, Mr Li said China was “also open to the TPP.

希望中国不被挡在门外的李克强表示，中国“也对TPP持开放心态。

China and the EU had prickly relations under Karel De Gucht, the previous EU tradecommissioner, who launched an investigation into alleged dumping of Chinese solar panels. Healso accused Huawei and ZTE, two Chinese makers of telecommunications equipment, ofbenefiting from illegal state subsidies.

在欧盟前贸易专员卡洛•德古赫特(Karel De Gucht)主持工作期间，中国和欧盟之间关系紧张。德古赫特曾对有关中方倾销太阳能电池板的指控启动调查。他还指责华为和中兴这两家中国电信设备制造商受益于非法的国家补贴。

But Brussels found the Chinese were highly effective at dividing EU countries with threats oftrade retaliation, for example, against European wine exports.

但布鲁塞尔发现，中方在用贸易报复的威胁手段分化欧盟国家(比如针对欧洲葡萄酒出口)方面十分拿手。

Under Mr De Gucht’s successor, Cecilia Malmström, the tone on China has been moreconciliatory and most attention is focused on whether the EU will support China’s push to beaccepted as a “market economy in the World Trade Organisation.

自德古赫特的继任者塞西莉亚•马姆斯特罗姆(Cecilia Malmström)上任以来，欧方在对华事务上语气比较和缓，大部分注意力集中于欧盟是否支持中国争取在世界贸易组织(WTO)被接纳为“市场经济的努力。

Turning to the slowdown in China’s gross domestic product growth, Mr Li said he wasconfident that the “economy will maintain long-term growth but ruled out “strong stimulus.

在谈到中国国内生产总值(GDP)增长放缓时，李克强表示，他相信“经济将保持长期增长，但排除了出台“强刺激的可能性。

Beijing signalled its intent to reinforce demand at the weekend by cutting the one-year lendingrate by 25 basis points to 4.85 per cent — its fourth cut since November — and lowering theamount of reserves certain banks are required to hold by 50 basis points.

北京方面在刚刚过去的周末削减一年期贷款利率25个基点，至4.85%(这是自去年11月以来的第四次降息)，同时针对某些银行下调存款准备金率50个基点。此举传递出当局提振需求的意图。