通用汽車能爲上汽集團提供多少助力(上)?

The next generations of General Motors Co.'s GM +3.19% Cadillacs will have softer corners, dashboards with more gadgetry and plusher rear seats. The U.S. auto maker is tweaking the iconic American brand to make it more palatable to Chinese buyers and GM's Chinese partner, even though Cadillac hasn't sold strongly here.

通用汽車公司(General Motors Co.)未來幾代的凱迪拉克轎車(Cadillac)將擁有更加柔和的拐角線條，儀表盤將增加更多裝置，後排座椅也將更爲豪華。這家美國汽車製造商正在調整這個標誌性美國汽車品牌的車型設計，使其更合乎中國買家以及通用汽車中國合資夥伴的口味，儘管凱迪拉克在中國的銷售並不強勁。

The redesign speaks to the growing influence of the partner, SAIC Motor Corp., -1.06% on GM's global strategy. Since pairing up with SAIC 15 years ago in a joint venture, GM has become the dominant foreign player in China, the world's second-biggest economy and busiest auto market. Along the way, GM helped rear SAIC into a full-fledged auto maker, with top-tier designers, engineers and marketers.

這次重新設計彰顯出上海汽車集團股份有限公司(SAIC Motor Corp.，簡稱：上汽集團)對於通用汽車全球戰略不斷增長的影響力。自從15年前與上汽集團組建合資公司以來，通用汽車已成爲中國這個全球第二大經濟體及最大汽車市場上占主導地位的外國廠商。在此過程中，通用汽車也將上汽集團培養成一個羽翼豐滿的汽車製造商，擁有一流的設計師、工程師和營銷人員。

SAIC now wants to move onto the world stage, and GM must decide how much it wants to help.

上汽集團現在想要登上世界舞臺，而通用汽車必須決定的是，自己希望給予前者多大幫助。

Chinese law requires that foreign auto makers have local partners, and how GM manages its relationship with SAIC is crucial. The American auto maker needs SAIC to begin assembling Cadillacs in China so it can attack a luxury car market dominated by German car makers.

中國法律規定，外國汽車製造商要想在華開展業務，必須與中國公司進行合作，因此通用汽車如何管理它與上汽集團的關係就顯得至關重要。這家美國汽車製造商需要與上汽集團合作才能開始在華組裝凱迪拉克轎車，以打進由德國汽車製造商主導的中國豪車市場。

A successful partnership could lift GM's profits for years. But there is a risk for GM, too: SAIC could use GM expertise and technology to transform itself into a global auto powerhouse that challenges the American car maker down the road.

通用汽車與上汽集團擁有成功的合作關係可能會在未來多年裏對通用的利潤起到提振作用。但是，這種關係對通用汽車來說也有風險：上汽集團可能會利用通用汽車的專業知識和技術將自己打造成全球汽車巨頭，並在日後對通用汽車形成挑戰。

'Why do you rob a bank? Because that's where the money is,' says GM Chief Executive Dan Akerson. 'Why go to China? Because that's where the customers are.' He called the SAIC partnership his company's most important relationship around the world.

通用汽車首席執行長阿克森(Dan Akerson)說，爲什麼人們會去搶銀行？因爲銀行裏有錢；爲什麼我們要去中國？因爲那裏有客戶。阿克森把與上汽集團的合作關係稱作是通用汽車在全球最重要的關係。

This summer, SAIC opened North American headquarters in Birmingham, Mich., just 20 miles from GM's Detroit base. After years of explosive growth, China's auto market is cooling off. Yi Lu, president of SAIC USA Inc., called the growing importance of selling cars abroad a 'significant factor' in the decision to go to Michigan. SAIC currently sells no cars in the U.S.

今年夏天，上汽集團將其北美總部設在了美國密歇根州的伯明翰，距離通用汽車的底特律總部僅32公里。在經歷了多年的爆炸性增長後，中國汽車市場開始逐漸降溫。上汽集團美國公司(SAIC USA Inc.)的總裁魯易(音)說，將汽車銷往海外變得越來越重要，這是上汽集團決定去美國密歇根州的重要因素。上汽集團目前並沒有在美國銷售汽車。

This isn't SAIC's first foray outside China. A decade ago, it took a small stake in a venture GM had in Korea. In 2010, as GM was still limping out of bankruptcy, the U.S. auto maker agreed to a joint venture with SAIC in India.

這並不是上汽集團出征海外的首次嘗試。10年前，上汽集團曾收購了通用汽車在韓國某合資公司的少數股份。2010年，當通用汽車仍在步履蹣跚地走出倒閉陰影時，它與上汽集團達成了在印度組建合資企業的協議。

But SAIC wants more from its American friend.

但上汽集團希望從這位美國朋友那裏得到的並不止這些。

The Chinese company wants to set up operations in Latin America and Europe, two markets where GM has longtime operations. And China wants access to advanced electric-car technology, which GM wants to safeguard.

上汽集團希望在拉丁美洲和歐洲開展業務，而通用汽車在這兩個市場有着長期的運營經驗。另外，中國還希望獲得先進的電動汽車技術，而這則是通用汽車不願分享的。

GM has yet to decide how far it will go. 'It's kind of like a marriage,' Mr. Akerson said. 'We have a good and viable relationship and partnership. But to make it work, you have to have needs on both sides of the table, not just wants.'

通用汽車尚未決定要與上汽集團攜手走多遠。阿克森說，這有點像是兩個人結婚，雖然有着不錯且可行的關係與合作，但要想婚姻美滿，就必須考慮到雙方的需求，而不能只想着索取。

GM, which sells some vehicles with SAIC in Latin America, is considering expanding the partnership there. Mr. Akerson has discussed with senior executives the possibility of expanding with SAIC into Southeast Asia, according to people close to the company. But GM has no plans to follow on SAIC's request for help in setting up a dealership network in Europe for one of its brands, a person close to GM said.

通用汽車與上汽集團有部分汽車在拉美出售，前者目前正在考慮擴大與後者在拉美的合作關係。瞭解通用汽車的人說，阿克森與公司高管們討論了在東南亞擴大與上汽集團合作的可能性。但一位瞭解通用汽車的人說，通用汽車目前並不打算應上汽集團的要求，幫助後者在歐洲建立其某汽車品牌的經銷商網絡。

A spokeswoman for SAIC in Shanghai said that the companies 'have established a good and enduring relationship based on a foundation of mutual benefit.' The venture, she added, 'is a model for successful cooperation in China and even the world.'

上汽集團駐上海的一位發言人說，兩家公司在互惠互利的基礎上建立了良好、持久的關係。她還說，這一模式是在中國、乃至世界上成功合作的一個榜樣。

GM can ill afford to alienate SAIC. GM's joint ventures with SAIC Motor Corp., a separate alliance between GM and FAW Group Corp., and a further alliance involving GM, SAIC and Wuling Automobile Co. together sold 2.5 million vehicles in 2011. It posted $30 billion in revenue, and $3.2 billion in profit, of which GM received about $1.5 billion. GM reported profit from all its operations of $7.6 billion last year.

通用汽車可能難以承受與上汽集團的疏遠。去年，雙方的合資企業、通用汽車與中國第一汽車集團公司(FAW Group Corp.)的合資企業，以及通用汽車、上汽集團和五菱汽車(Wuling Automobile Co.)的合資企業在中國共銷售了250萬輛汽車，實現收入300億美元，利潤32億美元，其中通用汽車獲利約15億美元。通用汽車去年所有業務共實現利潤76億美元。

And GM is still waiting to get the blessing of Chinese authorities to regain control of a 1% stake in Shanghai GM that will boost its ownership back to 50%. GM used the asset to get SAIC's help in obtaining a $400 million line of credit in 2009 when GM desperately needed cash.

通用汽車目前仍在等待得到中國政府的批准，以回購上海通用1%的股權，從而讓自己在上海通用的持股比例重新增至50%。2009年通用汽車急需現金時，向上汽集團售出了這1%的股權，獲得了4億美元的信用額度。

Other Western companies with presence in China are facing similar challenges as the powerful Chinese partners they helped create want to expand overseas after building muscles at home.

其它在華開展業務的西方公司目前也面臨着類似挑戰。它們曾經幫助打造的中國合作伙伴在本土獲得了強大實力後，如今開始希望向海外擴張。

Siemens AG +0.63% of Germany and Bombardier Inc. BBD.B.T +0.55% of Canada, which both transferred bullet-train technologies to China, are confronting Chinese rivals on overseas markets including the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Brazil. After being an apprentice to Russian and French nuclear engineering companies, China is now eying exports of nuclear reactors.

德國西門子公司(Siemens AG)和加拿大龐巴迪公司(Bombardier Inc.)都曾將子彈頭列車技術轉讓給中國，如今它們在美國、沙特阿拉伯和巴西等海外市場上開始遇到中國對手的競爭。在給俄羅斯和法國核工程公司當過學徒之後，中國目前瞄上了核反應堆的出口。

GM's first move into modern China was a dud. By the time GM decided to get into the market, in 1992, Beijing had just shut the door to new passenger-car joint ventures; Volkswagen AG +0.93% and French car maker PSA Peugeot +5.30% Citroën made the cut.

通用汽車挺進當代中國市場的首次嘗試並沒有獲得成功。1992年該公司決定進入中國市場時，北京方面剛剛關閉了與外商新建轎車合資公司的大門。大衆汽車(Volkswagen AG)和法國汽車製造商雪鐵龍集團(PSA Peugeot-Citroen)則成功“闖關”。