中興內部文件曝光 華爲被拖下水

HONG KONG — When the United States government punished ZTE of China this month, saying it had done business with Iran, it released internal company documents that it said detailed how the electronic equipment maker had done it — and that also suggested the problem might not be limited to one Chinese company.

香港——在本月以中國的中興(ZTE)公司與伊朗有生意往來爲由對其施加制裁時，美國政府公佈了該公司的內部文件，稱文件提供了有關該電子設備製造商與伊朗交易的細節，還稱這個問題可能不僅限於一家中國公司。

One document described how ZTE would set up seemingly independent companies — called “cut-off companies” — that would sign the deals in other countries. That could enable it to continue to do business in Iran, North Korea and other countries placed under American restrictions.

一份文件稱，中興會設立看似獨立的公司——“隔斷企業”，通過這些公司在其他國家簽署協議。這會使得中興能夠繼續在伊朗、朝鮮及其他受到美國限制的國家開展貿易。

In describing the effort, the document cited as a model — and at times a cautionary tale — a rival company it called F7. ZTE said F7 had done something similar, though its business in restricted companies ended up hurting its American ambitions.

該文件在說明這些舉措時，提到了一個範例——有時是爲了敲響警鐘——一個被稱爲F7的競爭對手。中興稱F7也有類似的做法，但該公司在受限國家的業務，最終損害了它在美國的宏圖大業。

The document does not give F7’s real name. But the description offered by ZTE matches a company far larger and more politically sensitive: Huawei Technologies, its chief rival and a major force in the technology world.

該文件沒有說明F7的真實名稱。但中興的描述符合一個規模大得多且更具政治敏感性的公司：華爲技術公司——中興的主要對手、技術領域的一股重要力量。

The ZTE document, dated August 2011, suggests that other Chinese companies could have potential exposure to American export limits. Given the recent sanctions against ZTE, it also suggests that the issue could be a continuing one between Chinese and American government officials.

這份在2011年8月發佈的文件顯示，其他中國公司可能會受到美國的出口限制。中興最近遭受的制裁也說明，這將成爲中美政府官員間持續存在的一個問題。

ZTE on Thursday said that it had delayed the release of its annual financial results because of the sanctions, which limit the ability of American companies to sell equipment to it.

中興在週四表示，由於遭到制裁，該公司會延期公佈年度財務業績。制裁舉措使得向中興出售設備的美國公司受到限制。

ZTE officials declined to comment on the identity of F7, and Huawei declined to comment. ZTE has said it is cooperating with investigators and is committed to complying with the law.

中興官員拒絕就F7的身份置評，華爲拒絕評論。中興曾表示，公司正在配合調查人員的工作，承諾遵守法律。

The United States Commerce Department, which last week restricted sales of American telecommunications equipment to ZTE, accusing it of violating embargoes, did not respond to requests for comment.

美國商務部上週限制相關公司向中興出售電信設備，指責中興違反禁令，商務部沒有回覆置評請求。

It is rare for the Commerce Department to publicly provide evidence for an addition to its blacklist of restricted companies, especially full disclosure of internal documents.

商務部很少公開提供有關增加受限公司的證據，特別是全面披露內部文件。

It is not clear how accurate ZTE’s version of the events might be. The document says some information about F7 was gathered by ZTE’s legal department, without offering details.

目前尚不清楚，中興有關該事件的說明與事實是否有出入。文件稱，一些有關F7的信息是由中興法務部門收集的，但沒有提供細節。

F7, the document says, tried in 2010 to buy an American company called 3Leaf but met with opposition from American officials. That same year, Huawei agreed to buy major assets from 3Leaf, but it dropped the bid in February 2011 because of opposition from American officials.

文件稱，F7在2010年試圖收購一家名爲3Leaf的美國公司，但遭到美國官員的反對。就在那一年，華爲同意收購3Leaf的主要資產，但最終因爲美國官員的反對，在2011年2月放棄了投標。

F7 also has a joint venture with the American digital security company Symantec, the 2011 document says. Huawei had a joint venture with Symantec before the American company dissolved it in 2012.

這份2011年的文件顯示，F7還與美國數字安全公司賽門鐵克(Symantec)成立了合資企業，但2012年美國公司解散了這個企業。

Like ZTE, Huawei makes telecommunications equipment for corporate networks and for big telecommunications systems such as phone companies. American officials have long suspected it has Chinese government ties, and United States intelligence officials have tried to tap into the company’s network. Both companies are effectively barred from selling equipment for American networks.

與中興一樣，華爲爲公司網絡及大型電信系統——比如手機公司——製造電信設備。美國官員一直在懷疑該公司與中國政府有關聯，美國情報官員曾試圖潛入該公司的網絡。兩家公司實際上都被禁止向美國網絡出售設備。

Huawei says that it is privately owned and that accusations of government ties are an excuse to hurt the company for protectionist purposes.

華爲表示，該公司爲私有企業，有關公司與政府關係的指控只是爲了實施保護主義、損害該公司的藉口。

Huawei is much larger than ZTE. In 2014, it reported revenue of about $60 billion, about four times that of ZTE. Depending on the measure, it ranks with Sweden’s Ericsson as the world’s largest supplier of the base stations and other equipment that make mobile telecom networks run. Huawei equipment supports networks in countries across the world, including many European markets.

華爲的規模比中興大得多。2014年，該公司報收600億美元，大約是中興的四倍。根據該數據，華爲和瑞典愛立信公司(Ericsson)成爲世界最大的基站及移動通信網絡運營所需的其他設備的供應商。華爲的設備支撐世界各國網絡的運行，其中包括很多歐洲市場。

While both Huawei and ZTE are given privileged status as high-tech innovators by China’s leadership, Huawei is more prominent.

雖然華爲和中興都被中國領導人稱爲高科技行業的創新者，給予它們特權，但華爲更爲重要。

Huawei has also had greater success selling its smartphones in America, and indeed across the world. The company was the third-largest smartphone vendor by units sold in the fourth quarter of 2015 according to IDC, with an 8.1 percent share of the global market, compared with the 21.4 percent share of Samsung, the company in first place.

華爲的智能手機在美國的銷售更成功，實際上在全世界也更爲成功。IDC的數據顯示，以2015年第四季度的銷售量來看，該公司成爲世界第三大智能手機賣家，在全球市場佔據8.1%的份額，三星(Samsung)佔21.2%，排名第一。

Despite the trouble in the United States, Huawei has not shied away from potentially controversial deals. In September, Huawei signed a deal with Syria’s Communications and Technology Ministry to help the country develop its communications networks.

儘管在美國遇到麻煩，華爲對可能存在爭議的交易並不避諱。9月，華爲與敘利亞通信技術部簽署協議，以幫助敘利亞發展通信網絡。

The ZTE document details how F7 recruited compliance experts and placed them in its joint ventures as part of efforts to mitigate its risks. It says that the company recruited one “senior export control compliance specialist from Texas Instruments” and a “Chinese-American attorney who is familiar with the related laws in the U.S.”

中興的文件詳細講述了F7如何聘用合規專家，並將他們安置在合資企業，以此作爲減少風險的舉措的一部分。文件稱，該公司聘用了“德州儀器(Texas Instruments)的資深出口管制合規專員”及一名“熟悉美國相關法律的美國華人律師”。

It also describes how F7 found partners that it could say were independent companies and that could work on its behalf in countries under embargo. F7, it said, found a big information technology company that was “serving as its agent to sign contracts for projects in embargoed countries.”

該文件還稱F7找到了一些合作伙伴，它可以說這些都是獨立公司，但又可以代表F7在管制國運作。文件顯示F7找到了一家大型信息技術公司，“作爲其簽署管制國項目的簽約主體”。

“This cut-off company’s capital credit and capability are relatively strong compared to our company; it can cut off risks more effectively,” the document said.

文件稱，“該隔斷企業資質及能力較強，相對於我司能較好地隔斷風險。”

But ZTE came to believe that F7’s activities in embargoed countries hurt its American expansion efforts.

但中興認爲F7在管制國的活動影響了該公司在美國的擴張計劃。

It said it believed that F7’s efforts to acquire companies in the United States were in part blocked because of its “ongoing projects in embargoed countries.”

中興稱，它相信F7在美國收購公司受阻，部分是因爲F7“在管制國的運作項目”。