嘉能可与中国国际基金公司合作

A publicity-shy group of Hong Kong investors that is emerging as a new force in African natural resources secured its latest alliance with a big commodities group on Thursday when Glencoreagreed to buy iron ore from its mine in Guinea.

一家很少在媒体上抛头露面的香港公司正逐渐成为非洲自然资源开发领域的一支新军。本周四，大宗商品交易商嘉能可(Glencore)与这家公司建立合作关系，将从后者位于几内亚的矿源购买铁矿石。

The Swiss commodities trader signed an off-take agreement for 50 per cent of the output from the Forecariah iron ore prospect attributable to Bellzone, an Aim-quoted junior that is developing the mine with Hong Kong-based China International Fund. CIF will also have the option to sell its share of iron ore to Glencore.

总部位于瑞士的嘉能可签署了一项“承购(off-take)协议，将购买几内亚福雷卡里亚(Forecariah)铁矿预期产量中归于Bellzone的那部分的50%。该矿由英国另类投资市场(Aim)上市矿企Bellzone和位于香港的中国国际基金有限公司（China International Fund，简称CIF）共同开发。CIF还有权将归于自己的那部分铁矿石出售给嘉能可。

Nik Zuks, Bellzone chief executive, said the agreement with Glencore would last for the life of the mine, covering eight years’ worth of resources. It would be accompanied by a $15m prepayment facility, Bellzone said.

Bellzone首席执行官尼克·祖克斯(Nik Zuks)称，与嘉能可所签承购协议的有效期涵盖该矿的整个开采寿命，涉及长达八年的资源产出。他表示，嘉能可还将支付1500万美元预付款。

CIF arrived in Africa shortly after the end of the civil war in Angola a decade ago, where it won infrastructure projects financed with revenues from the continent’s second biggest oil industry.

CIF在十年前安哥拉内战结束后不久就赴非洲发展，它赢得了安哥拉的基础设施建设项目，建设资金来自该国的石油收入。安哥拉的石油业收入在非洲排名第二。

Corporate documents show it is part of a network of companies known as the 88 Queensway Group, which has amassed interests ranging from African energy and minerals to prime Wall St real estate. Little is known about its owners, who have links with state-owned Chinese groups active in Africa but appear to operate independently of Beijing. It has repeatedly declined requests for comment.

公司文件显示，CIF是“金钟道88号集团（88 Queensway Group，指代地址在香港金钟道88号附近的多家彼此之间有关联的公司）的成员之一。该集团积累了各式各样的商业利益，从非洲的能源与矿产到华尔街的高端地产。外界对CIF的所有者知之甚少，他们似乎与活跃在非洲的中国国有企业存在关联，但在商业运作方面似乎又不受中国政府左右。CIF已多次回绝了记者的置评请求。

CIF drew criticism when it signed multi-billion-dollar mining and infrastructure deals in 2010 with a Guinean junta that had massacred 150 opponents. In December, China Sonangol, a joint venture between an 88 Queensway company and Angola’s state-owned oil group, secured minority stakes in promising oil projects in Angolan waters led by BPof the UK and Goldman Sachs-backed Cobalt International Energy.

2010年，CIF在几内亚签署价值数十亿美元的采矿和基础设施协议时受到外界批评，因为就在协议签署前不久，几内亚军政府屠杀了150名反对派人士。2010年12月，隶属于“金钟道88号集团的一家公司与安哥拉国有石油公司创办的合资企业安中控股(China Sonangol)，获得了安哥拉海域前景可观的石油项目的少数权益，这些项目由英国石油(BP)和Cobalt International Energy（出资方为高盛(Goldman Sachs)）牵头开发。