英国对亚洲企业的开放和欢迎态度将加快全球经济复苏 （中英对照）

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英国对亚洲企业的开放和欢迎态度将加快全球经济复苏

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer

英国财政大臣奥斯本

14 January 2013

2013年1月14日

This year’s Asian Finance Forum will, I’m sure, continue to be a source of new ideas and inspiration. Twelve months ago, I addressed the forum with a simple message: that Britain is the natural home of Asian investment in the West. I said that the remarkable pace of growth in Asia was a huge opportunity for British businesses, if we could get out there and seize them. One year on, we are doing just that.

我相信，今年的亚洲金融论坛会继续涌现出新的创意和灵感。一年前，我在论坛发言时讲了这样一句话：英国是亚洲赴西方投资的重要目的地。亚洲令人瞩目的经济增速对英国企业来说是巨大的机遇，前提是我们能走出去、抓住这些机遇。一年以来，我们在做的正是这些。

We’re moving away from an economy built on debt, to a balanced economy where we save, invest and export - and a strong relationship with Asia is a central part of that. Despite the tough economic conditions, British businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities Asia presents. Britain’s exports to China have grown by 42 per cent since the current UK government came into office and by 7 per cent to Hong Kong over the same period.

我们的经济正在走出债务经济模式，向着更平衡的方向发展。在这一过程中，我们厉行节约，加大投资和出口力度，并将加强英国与亚洲的关系作为一项中心任务。尽管经济形势欠佳，英国企业正在抓紧亚洲经济发展所带来的机遇。自本届政府执政以来，英国对华出口增长了42%，对香港出口增长了7%。

But now is not the time to be complacent. The global economy faces major challenges this year. East and West need to work together if we are to build a sustainable economic recovery in our changing world. Let me set out three areas where Asia and Britain can work together.

不过现在我们还不能沾沾自喜，因为今年全球经济仍将面临重大挑战。要在不断变化的世界中实现持续经济复苏，东方和西方国家需要携手合作。我认为亚洲和英国可以在以下三个领域进行合作。

First, London can play a vital role in building the global renminbi market in 2013, acting as the Western hub for renminbi business, complementing Hong Kong as a bridge to the West. The potential for this market is clear: 12 per cent of China’s global trade was settled in renminbi last year, up from just 2 per cent in 2008. As two of the world’s leading financial centres, Hong Kong and London are natural partners in this, with London adding new corporate users of renminbi, new investors and intermediaries, and an extended time zone to Hong Kong’s offer.

首先，伦敦可以在2013年打造全球人民币市场的过程中继续发挥关键作用，担当人民币业务西方枢纽的角色，作为对香港的补充，发挥对西方国家的桥梁作用。全球人民币市场的潜力清晰明确：去年，中国12%的国际贸易以人民币结算，而这个数据在2008年时仅是2%。作为全球两大金融中心，香港和伦敦进行合作是很自然的事。伦敦可以为人民币业务带来新的企业客户、新的投资者和中介机构，同时在时区上也是对香港业务的扩展。

The London-Hong Kong International RMB Forum held in London last month demonstrated there is increasing interest in the global renminbi market. The key this year will be to translate this interest into increased economic activity.

上月在伦敦举办的伦敦—香港国际人民币论坛说明各国对全球人民币市场与日俱增的关注。今年的工作重点是如何将这种关注转化为实实在在的经济行为。

That’s why I was pleased to see China Construction Bank’s renminbi bond issue in London in December - the first renminbi bond issued by a Chinese bank outside mainland China and Hong Kong. And the Bank of England said last month that, should it become appropriate to establish a swap line with the People’s Bank of China, it would have no hesitation in doing so in the future.

这就是我非常高兴看到中国建设银行去年十二月份在伦敦发行人民币债券的原因所在。这款产品是中资银行在中国大陆和香港境外发行的首只人民币债券。此外，英格兰银行上月表示，在时机成熟可以与中国人民银行签署货币互换协议时，我们将会毫不犹豫这样做。

Second, we should cement Britain’s position this year as a home of Asian investment, offering stable returns in an open and well-regulated economy. Last year, China became one of the leading investors into the UK, ranking alongside the US, Canada and India. This included £250 million (HK$3.1 billion) of investment from China Investment Corporation in London’s water network, and nearly £500 million of investment in Heathrow Airport Holdings in October - two examples of just how open Britain is to Asian investment. I want to build on that progress, which is why we are beefing up British chambers of commerce overseas.

第二，今年我们应巩固英国作为亚洲投资主要目的地的地位，在英国这样一个开放且井然有序的经济体，为亚洲企业提供稳定收益。去年，中国成为英国的主要投资者之一，与美国、加拿大和印度等国规模相当。其中包括中投集团对伦敦水务网络2.5亿英镑（31亿港币）的投资，以及10月对英国希思罗机场控股公司近5亿英镑的投资。以上仅是英国对亚洲投资开放的两个例子。我希望这一业已取得的进步能够得到巩固，这也是我们加强英国商会海外力量的原因所在。

Third, Britain and Asia should work together to defeat the forces of protectionism. Our economies all have a huge interest in promoting free trade. Within the European Union, Britain is the leading advocate for more progress. We should celebrate the EU-South Korea free-trade deal concluded last year. Now let us press on with the negotiations for an EU-Japan free-trade agreement and an EU-Singapore deal.

第三，英国与亚洲应携手打击保护主义势力。促进自由贸易对全球各个经济体都大有益处。在欧盟范围内，英国是自由贸易发展的主要倡导者。我们对去年欧盟与韩国签署的自由贸易协议表示欢迎。让我们共同敦促欧盟与日本自由贸易协议以及欧盟与新加坡协议的磋商。

There is a lot more to do. By working together, the East and West can build a more balanced and sustainable global economy, bringing greater prosperity to all our citizens. As some of the world’s most open economies, let us show how it can be done.

英国与亚洲的合作仍然任重道远。通过合作，东西方可以促进全球经济向着更平衡和可持续的方向发展，创造全球共享的更大繁荣。