【CNN 20150304】中国出击拉美 美国眼皮子下“约会”
China's big chess move against the U.S.: Latin America中国出击拉美 美国眼皮子下“约会”China is making friends right under America's nose.中国正在美国眼皮子下与拉美交朋友。
Latin America is China's latest business buddy. Chinese banks increased investments in Latin America by 71% last year, and the country plans to double its trade volume with the Central and South American region over the next decade.拉美是中国最新的贸易伙伴。中国的银行去年在拉美的投资增长71%，并计划十年内增长一倍。
This comes as U.S. power in the Americas is starting to erode. U.S. cash is actually fleeing the region as investors see better deals at home or elsewhere.美国在拉美的影响正开始削弱。美国的投资慢慢从拉美撤退，转向机会更好的国内或其他地方。
China doesn't appear as worried about the short-term.中国短期内没有这方面的顾虑。
"What we're looking at is not simply an economic play. It's an economic play that also has political and strategic undertones," says Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington.美国外交政策委员会副会长Ilan Berman称，“我们不仅仅把它当做经济比赛来看待。这场经济比赛同时还具备政治意义和战略意义。”
Outside of economic ties, Berman points out that China has helped fund Argentina's nuclear power plant, launched Bolivia's first satellite and is rumored to be helping Venezuela start its own drone program.除经济关系之外，Berman指出，中国已帮助阿根廷核电厂完成筹资，将玻利维亚通信卫星发生升空，还帮助委内瑞拉开造无人机。
But for now, the relationship is mostly economic.但目前为止，这些关系大都是经济关系。
Trading Places: Although America is still the No. 1 trade partner with Latin America, China is already beating it in some places. China is ahead of the U.S. in trade with Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela, according to M.I.T. Data.尽管美国仍然是拉美最大的贸易伙伴，但中国已经开始慢慢赶超美国。M.I.T数据显示，在与巴西、阿根廷、秘鲁、委内瑞拉的贸易关系中，中国已经取代了美国的位置。
It's a win-win for China and Latin America for many reasons. China needs all of Latin America's abundant commodities, like oil and soybeans, while some Latin countries are desperate for cash, which China is happy to provide.这对于中国和拉美来说是个双赢的局面，原因有很多。中国需要拉美石油和大豆等产量丰富的产品，而拉美迫切需要资金，中国也愿意提供。
In a sign of the shifting alignments, Latin American countries formed an alliance in 2010 called CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), which excludes the U.S. and Canada.拉美国家2010年成立拉美国家及加勒比共合体国家，而美国和加拿大并未被纳入该组织中。
Two months ago, the CELAC countries held a big meeting. Instead of going to Washington, they went to Beijing for the first formal conference between China and the region.两个月前，该组织成员国举行首次会议，但会议举行地点不是选在华盛顿而是选在北京。
Of course, the new friendship isn't entirely sunny. Chinese and Latin American economies are slowing down. Demand for goods is declining in China, and Latin America is at the end of a commodity boom, straining ties.当然，这层关系并不是完全明朗的。中国和拉美经济增长正在放缓。中国国内消费放缓，拉美达到了商品繁荣的最低点，这不利于双方的经济关系发展。
But the potential for long-term ties is strong. China's President Xi Jinping has vowed to double trade between his country and Latin America over the next decade to $250 billion.但双方长期发展关系的潜能还是很大的。中国主席习近平曾宣告称在未来十年内，中国和拉美的贸易量将翻一倍达2500亿美元。
"China provides a source of financing and export markets without pressures to adhere to practices of transparency, open markets, and Western style democracy," says Evan Ellis, a Latin American expert and professor at the U.S. Army War College.美国美军战争学院的拉美教授Evan Ellis称“中国提供资金和市场的同时没有贸易透明度、开放市场和西方式民主等附加条件。”
Venezuela is a good example. As the country's economy flounders -- some have even dubbed it the worst in the world -- China stepped in, lending the South American nation billions in exchange for oil.委内瑞拉就是个典例。当这个国家经济挣扎期间，甚至有人说它是世界上经济发展最差的国家，这时候中国进来了，给委内瑞拉贷款十几亿以换取石油。
Money talks: China's banks lent $22 billion to Latin America last year. That's more than the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank sent to the region combined, according to Margaret Myers, an expert at the Inter-American Dialogue, which is not associated with the bank.“美洲对话”的专家Margaret Myers透露，去年拉美获得中国的银行220亿美元的贷款，这比拉美在世界银行和美洲开发银行总共获得的贷款还多。
"These countries have really welcomed China with open arms," says Myers.Myers说：“这些国家已经张开双手欢迎中国的到来。”
Meanwhile, U.S. businesses are losing interest in Latin America. Direct investment from U.S. firms to Latin America has declined almost 20% since 2011, according to Commerce Department data.同时，美国企业对拉美的兴趣正在消散。根据商务部数据显示，美国公司直接投资拉美从2011年以来下降了接近20%。
Despite the recent Cuba announcement, Latin America remains low on America's policy priorities, some say. Its sleepy attention toward Latin America has allowed China to capitalize.美国政策的重心不再偏向拉美，这给了中国投资拉美的机会。
"As western capital retreats from Latin America...there's a vacuum there. Why wouldn't the Chinese want to fill that?" says David Morton, an emerging market expert and chief equity strategist at Rocaton Investment Advisers.投资顾问公司Rocaton的专家David Morton说：“美国资本从拉美撤退留下了真空，那中国当然想填补这一空缺。”
中国：约吗？
拉美：有啥好处？
中国：请吃麻辣烫
拉美：那好，约！
Q79) 讲得不错，真好
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