【路透社 20150323】中国牵头的亚投行吸引欧洲 美国拦不住
Sometime geopolitical shifts happen by accident rather than design.有时候地缘政治变化纯属偶然事件造成，而非刻意设计的结果。
Historians may record March 2015 as the moment when China's chequebook diplomacy came of age, giving the world's number two economy a greater role in shaping global economic governance at the expense of the United States and the international financial institutions it has dominated since World War Two.历史学家可能把2015年3月看做中国支票外交发展成熟的日子，这将让全球第二大经济体中国对于全球经济治理发挥更大的影响，而削弱美国及其二战后掌控的国际金融机构的影响。
This month European governments chose, in an ill-coordinated scramble for advantage, to join a nascent, Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in defiance of Washington's misgivings.本月，欧洲国家政府不约而同地要求加入中国牵头成立的亚洲基础设施投资银行(AIIB，亚投行)，无视美国政府的不安。
British finance minister George Osborne, gleeful at having seized first-mover advantage, stressed the opportunities for British business in a pre-election budget speech to parliament last week.英国财政大臣欧思邦对成为第一个要求加入亚投行的西方国家沾沾自喜。他上周在议会就财政预算所做的讲话中强调了此举给英国企业带来的机遇。
"We have decided to become the first major western nation to be a prospective founding member of the new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, because we think you should be present at the creation of these new international institutions," he said after rebuffing a telephone plea from U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to hold off.美国财政部长雅各布·卢曾致电欧思邦，请求英国政府三思而行。欧思邦拒绝后表示，“在西方大国中，我们第一个决定加入亚洲基础设施投资银行并可能成为其创始成员国，因为我们认为应该参与新的国际机构的创建。”
The move by Washington's close ally set off an avalanche. Irked that London had stolen a march, Germany, France and Italy announced that they too would participate. Luxembourg and Switzerland quickly followed suit.美国的亲密盟友英国此举引发了欧洲国家的剧烈反应。担心英国已占得先机，德国、法国和意大利也宣布将加入亚投行。卢森堡和瑞士随后迅速跟进。
The trail of transatlantic and intra-European diplomatic exchanges points to fumbling, mixed signals and tactical differences rather than to any grand plan by Europe to tilt to Asia.美欧和欧洲内部的外交活动显示出，欧洲各国对亚洲并没有统一的计划，而是出于自身利益做出匆忙的决定。
That is nevertheless the way it is seen by some in Washington and Beijing.华盛顿和北京的一些人士也持同样的看法。
As recounted to Reuters by officials in Europe, the United States and China who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, the episode reveals the paucity of strategic dialogue among what used to be called "the West".正如欧洲、美国和中国官员对路透讲述的那样，这段插曲显示出所谓的“西方”之间缺乏战略对话。因为该话题的敏感性，这些人士要求匿名。
It also highlights how the main European Union powers sideline their common foreign and security policy when national commercial interests are at stake.这同样凸显出，当事关国家商业利益时，欧盟大国可以置共同的外交和安全政策于不顾。
China's official Xinhua news agency reflected Beijing's delight.中国的兴奋之情从官媒新华社的文章中可见一斑。
"The joining of Germany, France, Italy as well as Britain, the AIIB's maiden G7 member and a seasoned ally, has opened a decisive crack in the anti-AIIB front forged by America," it said in a commentary.新华社在一篇社论中称，德国、法国、意大利继英国之后加入亚投行，在美国试图建立的反亚投行阵线上打开了一个决定性的裂口。
"Sour grapes over the AIIB makes America look isolated and hypocritical," it said.“在亚投行问题上的酸葡萄心态让美国看起来又孤立又虚伪，”文章称。
Of the main U.S. allies in Asia, Australia appears close to joining, though no formal decision has been made, and Japan and South Korea are considering the possibility.美国在亚洲的主要盟友中，澳洲似乎即将加入亚投行，尽管还未作出正式决定，日本和韩国正在考虑加入的可能性。
"The Americans are starting to look very mean-spirited with their criticism," said a Beijing-based Asian diplomat. "This is not a battle they are winning. Even their closest allies in Asia are starting to fall in line."“美国人的批评让自己看起来心胸非常狭窄，”一位在北京的亚洲外交官称，“这是一场他们不会胜利的较量。甚至他们在亚洲最亲密的盟友，也开始考虑加入。”
ANGER AT STALLED IMF REFORM对IMF改革止步不前感到不满
In Europe as in Washington, China's launch of a new institution to channel a fraction of its massive currency reserves into infrastructure investments in Asia posed a political conundrum and provoked turf disputes.中国启动新的机构，为将一部分外汇储备投资于亚洲基础设施找到出路，这对欧洲和对华盛顿方面而言，都是提出政治难题和引发地盘纠纷。
Western countries had long urged Beijing to recycle some of its trade surplus into building transport, energy and telecommunications networks in developing nations, but they wanted it to use the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, dominated by the United States and Japan.西方国家长期以来一直敦促北京方面将一些贸易顺差，用来在发展中国家建设交通、能源和电信网络，但他们希望中国通过美国主导的世界银行和日本主导的亚洲开发银行来利用这些资金。
China, angered that the U.S. Congress has not ratified a 2010 agreement to increase its voting share and that of other emerging economies in the International Monetary Fund, chose to go its own way instead.美国国会迄今仍未批准2010年有关提高新兴市场在IMF投票权的改革方案，中国对此感到不满，并转而选择按自己的意愿行事。
With initial capital of $50 billion, the Beijing-based AIIB can offer at most a complement to the larger World Bank and ADB, but it is starting point for expanding Chinese influence.鉴于初始资本只有500亿美元，总部设在北京的亚投行至多只能作为世界银行和亚洲开发银行的补充，但这是中国扩大影响力的起点。
Officially, the United States says it is concerned about whether the bank will uphold human rights, environment and labour standards and be open and transparent in its governance.美国官方表态是，担心亚投行是否将能维护人权、环境和劳工标准，以及管理方面是否公开透明。
In private, senior U.S. officials acknowledge this is about power. One Obama administration member said Congressional foot-dragging on IMF reform had "created an opportunity for China to assert itself".私底下，美国高级官员承认这关乎权力。一位奥巴马政府官员称，美国国会拖延IMF改革“为中国扩大影响力提供了机会”。
Lew gave a blunt assessment last week, telling U.S. lawmakers: "It's not an accident that emerging economies are looking at other places because they are frustrated that, frankly, the United States has stalled a very mild and reasonable set of reforms in the IMF."雅各布·卢上周直言不讳地对国会表示：“新兴市场寻找别的方式并不是个意外，因为坦白来说，美国在非常温和且合理的IMF改革面前止步不前，让新兴市场感到挫败。”
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama acknowledged irritation about IMF voting rights may have been a factor.阿拉巴马州共和党参议员Jeff Sessions承认，对IMF投票权改革的不满情绪可能是一个因素。
"I think this could be an unfortunate event and it might be bigger than we understand today," he told the Brussels Forum, an annual transatlantic dialogue organised by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.“我认为这可能是一个不幸的事件，可能比我们今天所理解的更大。”他在布鲁塞尔论坛上说。该论坛是美国德国马歇尔基金会组织的年度跨大西洋对话。
In Washington, the issue resided between the State Department, the Treasury and the White House National Security Council, which may have muddied U.S. communication with European allies, officials say.官员们表示，在华盛顿，该议题属于国务院、财政部和白宫国家安全会议三方的职责，这可能不利于美国和欧洲盟友的沟通。
"There just wasn't a clear and coherent and unified message on this from the beginning. It kind of languished for a while in a state of indecision and that produced the outcome that you've seen," said a Congressional source familiar with the discussions.“最初在这件事情上没有明确、一贯和统一的信息。有一段时间处于犹豫不决的状态，导致了目前看到的局面。”熟悉相关讨论的一位国会消息人士说。
Within European governments there were debates about tactics and timing but the prevailing view was that it was better to try to influence the Chinese project from inside, several officials said.一些官员称，欧洲各国政府对于策略和时机存在争论，但普遍的观点是，尝试从内部影响亚投行是更好的做法。
Merkel's office instructed the finance and foreign ministries to take charge. Given Germany's prioritising of Chinese trade, there was never much doubt Berlin would join the AIIB.德国总理默克尔办公室指示财政部和外交部负责此事。鉴于德国重视同中国的贸易，外界对德国加入亚投行没有太多怀疑。
"EYES OPEN"明知美国立场
British, German, French and Italian officials held several meetings to discuss a common approach then London leapt first, causing resentment if not surprise.英国、德国、法国和意大利官员举行了数次会谈，讨论面对亚投行的共同立场，其后英国率先加入，即便未让其它三国感到突然，也会导致不满。
"We want to be a Chinese partner of choice in international finance," a British government source said.“我们希望在国际金融方面成为中国的首选伙伴。”一名英国政府消息人士说。
Inconclusive talks were also held by officials of the Group of Seven economies, which includes the United States, Japan and Canada alongside the four European states.包括美国、日本、加拿大和英法德意在内的七国集团(G7)的官员亦曾举行磋商，但未得出结论。
"We knew the U.S. was not in the same place as us on this, we went into it with our eyes open," the source said.“我们知道美国和我们对这件事的立场不同，我们完全明了。”该消息人士称。
The Chinese invitation to join the AIIB was delivered to individual states. The issue was discussed only once in the EU's 28-nation Economic and Financial Committee, which prepares meetings of finance ministers.中国的亚投行邀请信是分别递交给个别国家。欧盟负责筹备财经部长会议的经济及金融委员会对这个议题只讨论过一次。
It was never raised to EU ambassadorial level, let alone to ministers. The big four did not include the European Commission or smaller EU states in their deliberations.此议题未曾提交至欧盟使节层级，更遑论是部长级会议了。欧盟四大国商议时未包括欧盟执委会或是欧盟较小成员国。
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Officials said the Netherlands was weighing whether to join but it may have missed the deadline to become a founder member.荷兰首相吕特(Mark Rutte)本周将会晤中国国家主席习近平。官员表示荷兰正考虑是否加入，但可能已赶不及成为创始成员国。
Having failed to persuade European allies, U.S. officials are looking to regain the initiative, but partisan battles on Capitol Hill may continue to stymie a response.在未能说服欧洲盟国之后，美国官员现在打算重新取得主动权；不过美国国会的党派角力可能继续妨碍该国做出反应。
The administration is using the spat to press Congress to grant President Barack Obama fast-track powers so he can conclude a Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact with 11 Asia-Pacific nations other than China, and to finally ratify the IMF reform.美国政府正利用党派龃龉促请国会赋予奥巴马总统快速处理权，以便完成与11个亚太国家之间的跨太平洋战略经济伙伴关系协定(TPP)谈判，并最终批准IMF改革案。TPP不包括中国。
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