紐時賞析／歐洲經濟陷於中美博弈的困境

中國大陸時尚零售商希音的包裹2月在廣州一間服飾工廠等待配送。紐約時報

Europe’s Economy Is Stuck In Between China and U.S.

歐洲經濟陷於中美博弈的困境

It once looked to many as if President Donald Trump could be a reason for Europe and China to bring their economies closer. His planned tariffs did little to distinguish the European Union, a longtime ally of the United States, from China, the principal challenger to American primacy.

曾經，許多人認爲美國總統川普可能是歐洲和中國大陸經濟變得更親近的原因。他計劃對長期盟友歐盟國家，及美國主導地位的主要挑戰者中國大陸所課徵的關稅稅率幾乎沒有差別。

It hasn’t turned out that way.

結果並非如此。

Instead, the European Union finds itself in a geopolitical chokehold between the world’s two largest economies.

相反地，歐盟發現自己陷入世界兩個最大經濟體間的地緣政治困境。

In Brussels, officials are trying to secure a rough trade deal with their American counterparts before Trump hits the bloc with high, across-the-board tariffs that could clobber the bloc’s economy. At the same time, European Union policymakers are trying to prod their counterparts in Beijing to stop supporting Russia, to stop helping Chinese industry with so much state money and to slow the flow of cheap goods into the European Union.

在布魯塞爾，官員們試圖在川普以高額、全面關稅打擊歐盟，並使歐盟經濟可能蒙受損失前，確保和美國達成大致的貿易協議。同時，歐盟政策制定者正試圖敦促中方停止支持俄羅斯，停止以這麼多的國家資金協助大陸產業和減緩廉價商品流入歐盟的速度。

But at a moment of upheaval in the global trading system, the bloc also needs to keep its relationship with China, the world’s leading manufacturing superpower, on a relatively stable footing.

但在全球貿易系統動盪的時刻，歐盟也需要與世界領先的製造業超級大國中國保持相對穩定的關係。

Leaders from the European Union are scheduled to be in Beijing for a summit in late July, plans for which have been in flux. Hopes for the gathering are low. Even as China pushes the idea that Trump’s hostility to multilateral trade is prodding Europe into its arms, Europe’s problems with China are only growing.

歐盟領導人預定七月底赴北京參加峰會，相關計劃一直變動中。對這次峰會期望不高。儘管中國試圖推銷川普對多邊貿易的敵意正將歐洲推向其懷抱的觀點，歐洲與中國的問題卻日益增加。

Tensions were on full display last week, when Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, visited Brussels for meetings in the run-up to the summit. China portrayed the tone as productive and dismissed the notion that the two sides had conflicts. European Union officials stressed lingering pain points, including trade imbalances.

雙方間的緊張局勢在上週一覽無遺。中國大陸外交部長王毅到訪布魯塞爾，參加峰會召開前的會談。中國大陸將這次會談氣氛描繪成富有成效，否認有說法稱雙方有發生衝突。歐盟官員強調持續存在的痛點，包括貿易失衡。

The divide was underscored this weekend. The European Union recently moved to curb government spending on medical devices from China, arguing that Chinese government agencies had been treating European companies unfairly and that it was necessary to level the playing field. China announced Sunday that it would retaliate.

這個分歧在本週末更明顯。歐盟最近採取行動，限制政府採購中國大陸醫療器械，主張中國大陸政府機構一直不公平對待歐洲公司，有必要提供公平競爭的環境。中國大陸週日宣佈他們會採取報復。

Yet the European Union remains in a delicate dance with China. Economic ties between the two economies are extensive. Many European countries remain heavily dependent on China for industrial materials. And European exports to China remain substantial, especially from Germany, which has long had close trade ties with China.

但歐盟和中國大陸的關係依然微妙。兩個經濟體間的經濟聯繫廣泛。許多歐洲國家仍嚴重依賴中國大陸提供工業原料。而且歐洲對中國大陸出口量依舊龐大，特別是德國，該國和中國大陸長期保持緊密的貿易聯繫。

But Europe’s exports have been dwindling as Chinese imports into the bloc have been surging.

但隨着中國大陸進入歐盟商品數量增加，歐盟出口卻一直減少。

文／Jeanna Smialek and Keith Bradsher，譯／羅方妤

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