英國緣何鍾情亞投行
Understandably, David Cameron ignored Foreign Office advice in signing the UK up to membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. If one took any notice of those killjoys, one would never do anything fun, such as importing dangerous wild animals, holidaying in Yemen or lending moral support to a repressive superpower.
戴維•卡梅倫(David Cameron)沒有理會英國外交部(Foreign Office)的建議，拍板讓英國加入亞洲基礎設施投資銀行(Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank，簡稱亞投行) ，這是可以理解的。如果理會英國外交部那幫掃興的人，就永遠幹不了好玩的事情，比如進口危險的野生動物、在也門度假，或者向一個專制的超級大國給予道義支持。
The FO tried to block the UK’s application, which George Osborne had sponsored, predicting it would annoy the Americans. The US controls the World Bank, the most hated development bank in the southern hemisphere, and does not want rivals for that valuable franchise.
英國申請加入亞投行是由財政大臣喬治•奧斯本(George Osborne)主推的，英國外交部嘗試阻止這一行動，預測此舉將惹惱美國。美國控制着世界銀行(World Bank)——在南半球最遭人痛恨的一家發展銀行，美國不想看到任何對手插手這項寶貴的事業。The chancellor, however, is keen to foster Anglo-Chinese relations, and with them Chinese investment in the City of London. This is a worthy aim. the Square Mile is already Europe’s main centre for renminbi trading. The London Metal Exchange is Chinese-owned, Lloyd’s has Chinese participants and giant Chinese asset manager Harvest is in the process of setting up a UK subsidiary.
然而，英國財相熱衷於促進英中關係，希望藉此增進中國對倫敦金融城(City of London)的投資。這是一個頗具價值的目標。彈丸之地的倫敦金融城已成爲歐洲主要的人民幣交易中心。倫敦金屬交易所(London Metal Exchange)已經爲中資所有，勞合社(Lloyd's of London)有中資參與，中國資產管理巨頭嘉實(Harvest Capital Management)正在組建一個英國子公司。
The coup of becoming the first EU state to announce its membership of the AIIB shows the UK proudly taking its place in the world: as a nation capable of achieving a brief diplomatic advantage over Luxembourg. It is moot whether this will make any difference to a City trend driven by liquidity. Contact with Bank of England officials may however show Chinese bankers which practices are best avoided.
英國出其不意地成爲第一個宣佈加入亞投行的歐盟(EU)國家，表明英國自豪於自己在世界上佔據的地位：一個在短時間內擁有相對於盧森堡的外交優勢的國家。至於此舉對於由流動性驅動的倫敦金融城趨勢將帶來什麼不同，則是無關緊要的。不過，接觸一下英國央行(Bank of England)的官員們，或許能提醒中國的銀行家們什麼樣的做法最好避免。They, for their part, have vanquished logic by creating an exclusive club almost anyone appears able to join.
中方做到了不合邏輯的事情：建立一個似乎誰都能加入的專屬俱樂部。Mr Osborne must now score a lasting victory over the expansionism of Luxembourg. He must ensure the AIIB’s European office is in the UK. Birmingham, maybe? HSBC, another Asia-rooted group is moving its UK bank there. And there is a nice pagoda in the city centre that will help Chinese bankers feel at home.
現在，面對盧森堡的擴張主義，奧斯本必須贏得一場持久的勝利。他必須保證亞投行的歐洲分部設在英國。伯明翰或許不錯？在亞洲源遠流長的另一家銀行匯豐(HSBC)正將英國總部遷往此地。伯明翰的市中心有一座漂亮的佛塔，或許會讓中國的銀行家們產生故鄉的感覺。
