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The announcement by George Osborne, UK chancellor, on March 12 that Britain would join China’s answer to the World Bank — a move in defiance of US pressure and advice from its own diplomats — was not just a surprise to allies in Europe and Washington. It also caught Beijing unawares.英國(guó)財(cái)政大臣喬治?奧斯本(George Osborne)于3月12日宣布英國(guó)將加入“中國(guó)版的世界銀行(World Bank)”（即亞洲基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施投資銀行，簡(jiǎn)稱(chēng)亞投行）,。此舉無(wú)視美國(guó)壓力和英國(guó)本國(guó)外交人士的勸告,，不僅讓英國(guó)在歐洲和華盛頓的盟友大跌眼鏡，也讓北京方面感到意外,。 The UK Treasury had told Chinese officials it would not announce its application to join until March 17. But once other European countries got wind of Britain’s plan to join the nascent Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the ensuing scramble to follow suit convinced London to move the announcement forward five days.奧斯本曾告訴中國(guó)官員,，在3月17日前，英國(guó)不會(huì)宣布它將提交申請(qǐng),。但其他歐洲國(guó)家在聽(tīng)到了英國(guó)將加入新生的亞投行的風(fēng)聲后,，馬上競(jìng)相效仿英國(guó)的做法。倫敦方面據(jù)此認(rèn)為還是提前5天宣布為好,。 In the end, Luxembourg beat Britain by one day, signing up on March 11 but asking China to keep it secret for two weeks in case its application to join the bank was unsuccessful. Switzerland joined on March 13 and France, Germany and Italy signed up together on March 16. Austria joined a week later.最終,，盧森堡比英國(guó)提早一天，于3月11日向中國(guó)提交了書(shū)面確認(rèn)函,，但它要求中方在兩周內(nèi)保守秘密,，以防它的加入申請(qǐng)無(wú)法獲得成功,。瑞士于3月13日申請(qǐng)加入，法國(guó),、德國(guó),、意大利均在3月16日申請(qǐng)加入，奧地利一周后申請(qǐng)加入,。 The decision by several US allies to sign up to an institution Washington had effectively said was off-limits is one of the most powerful symbols to date of the eastward shift of global power. The rush by European countries to join the AIIB also showed how much more sophisticated China’s diplomacy has become as it seeks to match its economic muscle with greater influence abroad.美國(guó)的多個(gè)盟友決定申請(qǐng)加入亞投行,，而華盛頓方面此前幾乎明確表明不希望它們加入，可謂迄今為止全球?qū)嵙|移的最有力標(biāo)志之一,。歐洲國(guó)家爭(zhēng)先恐后加入亞投行還表明,，中國(guó)在尋求在海外輻射與其經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)力相匹配的更大影響力時(shí)，外交手腕已變得更加圓滑,。 As late as January, when New Zealand became the first “western” country to join the bank, the members of the G7 members in effect agreed to not join the AIIB unless they could reach a consensus.直到今年1月,，新西蘭成為首個(gè)申請(qǐng)加入亞投行的“西方”國(guó)家時(shí)，七國(guó)集團(tuán)(G7)成員國(guó)實(shí)際上還一致同意不加入亞投行,，除非它們達(dá)成某種共識(shí),。 However, that was impossible — Japan had not been seriously invited and the US was against any of its allies signing up to what it sees as a challenge to the existing multilateral world order.然而，它們不可能達(dá)成什么共識(shí)——日本并未收到正式邀請(qǐng),，美國(guó)則反對(duì)任何一個(gè)盟友申請(qǐng)加入一家被它視為挑戰(zhàn)現(xiàn)有多邊世界秩序的機(jī)構(gòu),。 As such, the UK’s decision to break ranks was heavily criticised by the US. It also rankled in Berlin and Paris, where it was taken as an example of the UK’s willingness to forego long-term strategic thinking and solidarity with close allies in the pursuit of short-term commercial advantage.正因如此，英國(guó)決定分道揚(yáng)鑣的舉動(dòng)才受到美國(guó)的強(qiáng)烈批評(píng),。此舉也讓柏林和巴黎方面耿耿于懷,，它們認(rèn)為這件事說(shuō)明英國(guó)為了追求短期商業(yè)利益，愿放棄長(zhǎng)期戰(zhàn)略考慮和與親密盟友間的團(tuán)結(jié),。 “The UK, Germany and other European countries are falling over themselves to prostrate before China in order to win Rmb business and the Chinese are delighted,” said Eswar Prasad, former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division. “Apart from gaining favour with China it is not immediately obvious what the UK interest is in joining this bank.”“為了贏得人民幣業(yè)務(wù),，英國(guó)、德國(guó)以及其他歐洲國(guó)家正爭(zhēng)相拜倒在中國(guó)面前,，中國(guó)人則很高興看到這一幕,，”前國(guó)際貨幣基金組織(IMF)中國(guó)部負(fù)責(zé)人埃斯瓦爾?普拉薩德(Eswar Prasad)說(shuō)?！俺粟A得中國(guó)好感這點(diǎn),，很難一下子看出加入該行對(duì)英國(guó)的利益有何幫助?！?nbsp; One reason for the rush to join was a deadline imposed by the Chinese of mid-March if countries wanted to be included in a high-level meeting of prospective AIIB members that will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this weekend.上述國(guó)家著急加入的一個(gè)原因在于,，中方定下的截止日期是3月中旬。如果這些國(guó)家想在本周末于哈薩克斯坦阿拉木圖召開(kāi)的亞投行意向成員國(guó)高級(jí)別會(huì)議上被接納,，它們必須趕在3月中旬之前提交加入申請(qǐng),。 In a campaign that has surprised even the Chinese with its success, Jin Liqun, the man in charge of shepherding the bank into existence, has spent the past few months shuttling between different countries trying to convince them to join the bank.在這場(chǎng)贏得連中國(guó)人自己都感到意外的戰(zhàn)役中，主持亞投行籌建工作的金立群在過(guò)去幾個(gè)月里一直穿梭于不同的國(guó)家,，努力說(shuō)服它們加入該行,。 An urbane and sophisticated former vice-minister of finance and one-time official at the Asian Development Bank, Mr Jin speaks perfect English and passable French and is the consummate “barbarian handler”, in the words of several people who have dealt with him.金立群,，這位彬彬有禮且行事老練的前中國(guó)財(cái)政部副部長(zhǎng)和前亞洲開(kāi)發(fā)銀行(ADB)官員，能講一口流利的英語(yǔ),，法語(yǔ)也不錯(cuò),。用數(shù)名與他打過(guò)交道的人士的話說(shuō)，金立群是一位絕佳的“與蠻夷人打交道之人”(barbarian handler),。 According to these people, Mr Jin is an Anglophile who likes to quote Shakespeare to the English, tell the French how enamoured he is of their culture and charm the Germans by telling them they are his favourites because of their honesty.這些人士說(shuō),，金立群是一位親英派，與英國(guó)人交流時(shí)喜歡引用莎士比亞(Shakespeare)的話,；他還向法國(guó)人講述自己多么迷戀法國(guó)的文化,；為了取悅德國(guó)人,，他還跟德國(guó)人說(shuō)因?yàn)樗麄冋\(chéng)實(shí)所以自己最喜歡他們,。 His ability to play the members of the EU off against each other is now legendary in Beijing.他離間歐盟(EU)各成員國(guó)的功力已在北京傳為美談。 Several people involved in negotiations over the AIIB say Britain joined the bank despite opposition from the Foreign Office in a decision taken by Prime Minister David Cameron on the advice of the Chancellor George Osborne.一些參與亞投行相關(guān)談判的人士稱(chēng),，盡管遭到了英國(guó)外交部的反對(duì),，但英國(guó)首相戴維?卡梅倫(David Cameron)在聽(tīng)取財(cái)政大臣奧斯本的意見(jiàn)后，還是決定讓英國(guó)加入該行,。 As Mr Osborne prepared to unveil the decision, Chinese officials informed the UK Treasury that an unidentified “small European country” would be joining before them, a move that apparently prompted Mr Osborne to bring his announcement forward.就在奧斯本準(zhǔn)備宣布這一決定之際,，中國(guó)官員通知英國(guó)財(cái)政部稱(chēng)，一個(gè)“歐洲小國(guó)”將在英國(guó)之前申請(qǐng)加入亞投行,，但沒(méi)有透露是哪國(guó),，此舉顯然促使奧斯本提前宣布了上述決定。 “The Chinese told us that this game between Luxembourg and the UK amused them no end,” said one person involved in negotiations to join the AIIB. “Other countries like France and Germany were not amused at all.”“中國(guó)人告訴我們,，盧森堡與英國(guó)之間的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)讓他們覺(jué)得很好玩,，”一名參與亞投行入行談判的人士稱(chēng)，“法國(guó)和德國(guó)等其他國(guó)家則一點(diǎn)也不覺(jué)得好玩,?！?nbsp; Germany, France and Italy, which all announced they would join the bank on Monday March 16, appear to have found out about Britain’s intentions from their Chinese counterparts, rather than from the UK government.德國(guó)、法國(guó)和意大利都在3月16日那個(gè)周一宣布將申請(qǐng)加入亞投行,。這三個(gè)國(guó)家似乎是從中國(guó)政府,、而非英國(guó)政府那里打聽(tīng)到了英國(guó)的意圖。 An official from the French Treasury did not arrive in Beijing to discuss the details of France joining the bank until the same Monday morning that the joint announcement was made by the three countries, according to a person familiar with the matter.一名知情人士表示,，直到這三國(guó)發(fā)表聯(lián)合聲明的那個(gè)周一的上午,，法國(guó)財(cái)政部的一名官員才抵達(dá)北京討論法國(guó)加入亞投行的細(xì)節(jié)。 The jostling to join AIIB has happened despite the fact that even Mr Jin and his colleagues are not very clear on the details of the bank, which is expected to be established by June and ratified by most countries by the end of the year.盡管就連金立群及其同事也不太清楚亞投行的細(xì)節(jié),，但歐洲國(guó)家還是在爭(zhēng)相加入該行,。該行有望不晚于今年6月成立，并在今年年底前得到大多數(shù)成員國(guó)的正式批準(zhǔn),。 What is clear is Beijing’s intention to play the various European countries off against each other for the foreseeable future.目前顯而易見(jiàn)的是,，在可以預(yù)見(jiàn)的將來(lái),，北京方面有意挑逗歐洲各國(guó)彼此爭(zhēng)斗。 For one thing, of the 15-20 board seats China envisages for the bank, only three will be set aside for “non-regional” (ie non-Asian) member states, leaving the seven European countries to squabble over who gets to sit on the board.首先,，在中國(guó)給亞投行設(shè)計(jì)的15至20個(gè)董事會(huì)席位中,，將僅有3席預(yù)留給“域外”（即非亞洲）成員國(guó)，這會(huì)導(dǎo)致7個(gè)歐洲國(guó)家為誰(shuí)該進(jìn)入董事會(huì)而爆發(fā)爭(zhēng)吵,。 The next big fight will be over which country gets to host the AIIB’s regional European office, of which there is likely to be only one.另一場(chǎng)重大爭(zhēng)奪將是,，哪個(gè)國(guó)家能爭(zhēng)取成為亞投行歐洲分部所在地，歐洲分部很可能只會(huì)有一個(gè),。 Whether it ends up in Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg or elsewhere will no doubt also be the result of fierce maneuvering among the contenders.歐洲分部最終會(huì)設(shè)在法蘭克福,、倫敦、盧森堡還是別處,，無(wú)疑也將取決于各競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者之間的激烈運(yùn)作,。 When asked about the rationale behind Britain’s decision to break ranks, several British diplomats and officials have responded identically: “What did we have to lose by joining?”當(dāng)被問(wèn)及英國(guó)決定與美國(guó)等國(guó)分道揚(yáng)鑣的道理時(shí)，英國(guó)的幾名外交官和官員一致答道：“我們加入的話又有什么可損失的呢,？” The response from one person involved in negotiations around AIIB accession: “What did they have to lose? Only credibility with their allies, respect from the Chinese and bargaining power when it comes to negotiations on anything in the future.”參與亞投行入行談判的一名人士稱(chēng)：“他們有什么可損失的,？不過(guò)是盟友對(duì)他們的信任、中國(guó)人對(duì)他們的尊重,、以及未來(lái)就任何問(wèn)題展開(kāi)協(xié)商時(shí)討價(jià)還價(jià)的能力,。”
譯者/何黎
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