2017年,一系列中國(guó)企業(yè)收購(gòu)美國(guó)資產(chǎn)的交易被美國(guó)政府以國(guó)家安全為由攪黃了。如今,美國(guó)政府終于批準(zhǔn)了一起中資企業(yè)對(duì)美國(guó)公司的收購(gòu)案,這在唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)一年前成為美國(guó)總統(tǒng)以來屬于首次。
Naura, a Chinese state-controlled semiconductor company, received US regulatory approval for the purchase of Akrion Systems, a Pennsylvania-based rival, in December, a law firm representing the buyer said on Wednesday.
一家代表收購(gòu)方的律所周三表示,中國(guó)政府控股的半導(dǎo)體公司北方華創(chuàng)(Naura)去年12月收購(gòu)賓夕法尼亞州同行Akrion Systems 的交易獲得了美國(guó)監(jiān)管部門的批準(zhǔn)。
The decision by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US to approve the deal could weaken widespread fears among business leaders that the Trump administration is using the inter-agency vetting of deals that pose national security risks as a new tool against China and its growing appetite for American technology.
美國(guó)外國(guó)投資委員會(huì)(Cfius)決定批準(zhǔn)上述交易,可能會(huì)減輕商業(yè)領(lǐng)袖們普遍感到的擔(dān)憂:特朗普正把這家負(fù)責(zé)對(duì)交易的國(guó)家安全風(fēng)險(xiǎn)進(jìn)行審查的跨部門機(jī)構(gòu),作為對(duì)抗中國(guó)及其對(duì)美國(guó)技術(shù)的巨大需求的一個(gè)新工具。
“Despite a heightened US government review of Chinese investments, the parties obtained the Cfius approval in less than three months,” said a spokesperson for Gibson Dunn, which represents Naura.
“盡管美國(guó)政府加強(qiáng)了對(duì)中國(guó)投資的審查,但各方不到3個(gè)月便獲得了美國(guó)外國(guó)投資委員會(huì)的批準(zhǔn),”代表北方華創(chuàng)的律所Gibson Dunn的一名發(fā)言人說。
“This accomplishment is especially significant in light of the US government’s noted concerns about Chinese acquisitions in general, and semiconductor company acquisitions in particular. To make the Cfius approval even more noteworthy is that Naura is also a state-owned company.”
“這一成績(jī)顯得尤為重要,因?yàn)槊绹?guó)政府顯然對(duì)中資收購(gòu)、尤其是中資收購(gòu)半導(dǎo)體公司感到擔(dān)憂。讓此次獲批顯得甚至更引人注目的是,北方華創(chuàng)也是一家國(guó)企。”
Chinese bids for semiconductor companies have attracted particular interest from Cfius and US administrations. In an unusual move the Obama administration left Mr Trump a special report urging a co-ordinated government plan to defend the US’s semiconductor industry.
中資企業(yè)競(jìng)購(gòu)半導(dǎo)體公司引起了美國(guó)外國(guó)投資委員會(huì)和多屆美國(guó)政府的特別關(guān)注。奧巴馬(Obama)政府曾留給特朗普一份報(bào)告,敦促出臺(tái)一份政府部門協(xié)調(diào)一致保護(hù)美國(guó)半導(dǎo)體行業(yè)的方案,這是非同尋常之舉。
In September Mr Trump blocked the $1.3bn bid for Lattice Semiconductor by a group of investors that included a Chinese state-controlled fund.
去年9月,特朗普阻止了幾家投資機(jī)構(gòu)(包含一家中國(guó)政府控股的基金)以13億美元收購(gòu)萊迪思半導(dǎo)體(Lattice Semiconductor)的交易。
Chinese investors and US dealmakers claim that more deals are being stalled or blocked by Cfius due to rising tensions between Beijing and Washington. People who work on cases before the committee say it has also been plagued by problems because of a lack of Trump appointees to serve on it and a rising caseload.
中國(guó)投資者和美國(guó)交易撮合者聲稱,鑒于美中之間的緊張關(guān)系升溫,更多交易正被暫停或叫停。在美國(guó)外國(guó)投資委員會(huì)負(fù)責(zé)案件審理的人士表示,由于特朗普任命的人手不足以及待處理案件數(shù)量上升,該委員會(huì)也受到了種種問題的困擾。
US lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill in Congress in November seeking to reform Cfius by broadening the remit of the inter-agency, which is chaired by the US Treasury and includes the department of defence, state, commerce and homeland security.
去年11月,美國(guó)兩黨的議員已提交了一項(xiàng)法案,尋求通過擴(kuò)大美國(guó)外國(guó)投資委員會(huì)的權(quán)限,對(duì)這一跨部門機(jī)構(gòu)實(shí)施改革。該委員會(huì)的主席單位是美國(guó)財(cái)政部,其他成員包括國(guó)防部、國(guó)務(wù)院、商務(wù)部和國(guó)土安全部。
Since the start of 2016, nearly 30 Chinese acquisitions of US target companies have been announced but not yet completed, according to Dealogic.
Dealogic數(shù)據(jù)顯示,自2016年初以來,已有近30項(xiàng)中資收購(gòu)美國(guó)目標(biāo)公司的交易的消息對(duì)外公布,但尚未完成。