美國(guó)總統(tǒng)唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)封殺了博通(Broadcom)以1420億美元敵意收購(gòu)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手芯片公司高通(Qualcomm)的交易,稱他這么做是為了保護(hù)美國(guó)的國(guó)家安全。
The unprecedented presidential action to prevent a giant merger before it was even agreed threatened to turn the White House into a pivotal player in corporate dealmaking, while thrusting national security considerations to the centre of the wave of consolidation that has transformed the US chip industry over the past two years.
在一宗大型合并案尚未商妥時(shí)美國(guó)總統(tǒng)就采取封殺行動(dòng),這是史無(wú)前例的。它有可能會(huì)使白宮變成企業(yè)并購(gòu)交易中的一個(gè)關(guān)鍵玩家,同時(shí)會(huì)讓國(guó)家安全考量在合并浪潮中扮演核心角色。過(guò)去兩年,這股合并浪潮已使美國(guó)芯片行業(yè)發(fā)生翻天覆地的變化。
The hostile takeover bid by Singapore-registered Broadcom had already aroused opposition from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, an inter-agency group in Washington that vets foreign acquisitions. However, while Cfius warned of possible national security concerns, it had called for a full investigation only a week ago.
注冊(cè)于新加坡的博通發(fā)起的這次敵意收購(gòu),已招致美國(guó)外國(guó)投資委員會(huì)(Cfius)的反對(duì)。Cfius是華盛頓的一個(gè)跨部門機(jī)構(gòu),負(fù)責(zé)審查外資收購(gòu)項(xiàng)目。然而,盡管Cfius就可能存在的國(guó)家安全隱患發(fā)出了警告,但它也只是在一周前才呼吁展開全面調(diào)查。
The hasty White House intervention appeared to cut off Broadcom’s hopes of sidestepping the deeper national security review. The company said shortly ahead of Mr Trump’s order that it expected to complete a process of “redomiciliation” — turning itself back into a US company — by April 3. It claimed that it was “in all important respects a US company,” with most of its management and operations taking place in the US.
白宮的倉(cāng)促介入似乎斬?cái)嗔瞬┩▽?duì)于繞過(guò)更嚴(yán)苛國(guó)家安全審查的希望。博通在特朗普下達(dá)上述命令之前不久曾表示,公司預(yù)計(jì)將不晚于4月3日完成“遷冊(cè)”程序,使自己變回一家美國(guó)公司。博通聲稱,自己“從所有重要方面來(lái)看都是一家美國(guó)公司”,其大部分管理和運(yùn)營(yíng)活動(dòng)都發(fā)生在美國(guó)境內(nèi)。
In the presidential order released on Monday, Mr Trump said there was “credible evidence” to believe that after a purchase of Qualcomm, Broadcom might “take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.” He went on to prohibit the deal, and order the companies to “immediately and permanently abandon the proposed takeover of Qualcomm.”
特朗普在周一發(fā)布的總統(tǒng)令中表示,有“可信證據(jù)”讓人相信,博通在收購(gòu)高通之后可能會(huì)“采取有可能危害美國(guó)國(guó)家安全的行動(dòng)”。他進(jìn)而叫停這宗交易,并命令這些公司“立即且永久放棄對(duì)高通的擬議收購(gòu)”。
Qualcomm is one of the largest makers of chips and other technologies for mobile devices, and derives most of its revenues supplying Apple’s iPhone and their Android competitors.
高通是用于移動(dòng)設(shè)備的芯片及其他技術(shù)的最大制造商之一,其大部分收入源于向蘋果(Apple)的iPhone和對(duì)立陣營(yíng)的Android手機(jī)供貨。