The EU has warned China that it faces new anti-dumping tariffs on steel, amid growing pressure for the west to block Beijing’s bid for “market economy status” and greater access to world markets.
欧盟(EU)警告中国称,中国面临新的针对钢铁的反倾销关税。西方政府目前承受着越来越大的压力,要它们阻止中国获得“市场经济地位”和更自由地进入全球市场。
Speaking ahead of the G7 summit in Japan, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker declared: “If somebody distorts the market, Europe cannot be defenceless.”
在七国集团(G7)日本峰会召开前夕发表讲话时,欧盟委员会(European Commission)主席让-克洛德•容克(Jean-Claude Juncker)称:“如果某人要扭曲市场,欧洲不能毫无防备。”
The issue of Chinese steel exports will be discussed by G7 leaders on Thursday against the backdrop of a steel crisis in many western countries, including Britain where efforts are under way to save Tata Steel’s UK operations.
在许多西方国家面临钢铁业危机的背景下,G7领导人周四将讨论中国的钢铁出口问题。英国钢铁业也面临危机,它正开展多项努力拯救塔塔钢铁(Tata Steel)的英国业务。
Draft language prepared for discussions on the G7 communique, while not mentioning China, expresses concern about the excess supply of steel around the world and says it has distorted the global market. A Japanese government official said the issue went beyond steel to other commodities as well.
为G7公报讨论准备的草案尽管没有提及中国,却表达了对全球钢铁供应过剩的担忧,并称这种过剩扭曲了全球市场。日本政府一名官员表示,这个问题不仅钢铁身上有,其他大宗商品身上也有。
Mr Juncker claimed Chinese overcapacity amounted to double the EU’s annual steel production and that it had contributed to the loss of “thousands of jobs since 2008”.
容克称,中国的过剩产能相当于欧盟年钢产量的两倍,促成了“2008年以来成千上万工作岗位”的流失。
“We will step up our trade defence measures,” he said. Mr Juncker also said there would be an impact assessment of Chinese steel exports and detailed discussion on Beijing’s bid for market economy status under World Trade Organisation rules.
他说:“我们将加强贸易防御措施。”容克还表示,将对中国钢铁出口的影响展开评估,并就中国依据世贸组织(WTO)规定申请获得市场经济地位展开详细讨论。
China expects to achieve that status in December on the 15th anniversary of its 2001 accession to the WTO, giving it greater access to world markets and making it harder for third parties such as the EU to impose anti-dumping sanctions.
2001年加入世贸组织的中国,期望能在今年12月入世15周年之际获得这一地位——中国将因此能够更自由地进入全球市场,并让欧盟等第三方更难实施反倾销制裁。
This month MEPs passed a resolution saying China should not be granted market economy status by Brussels, amid widespread pressure from European steelmakers to protect the sector.
由于欧洲钢企普遍施加压力、要求保护该行业,欧洲议会(European Parliament)本月通过一项决议,称欧盟不应授予中国市场经济地位。
The question is an awkward one for Mr Cameron, who vowed on a visit to Beijing in 2010 that he would “make the case for China to get market economy status” but that the country would have to become more open.
对卡梅伦来说,这个问题很尴尬。卡梅伦2010年访问北京时曾承诺,他将“力主让中国获得市场经济地位”,但中国必须加大开放力度。
Mr Cameron’s attempt to position Britain as China’s “best partner” in the west could be damaged if he now opposed the attempt. In a sign of the sensitivity, Conservative MEPs did not back the European Parliament resolution opposing the upgrading of China’s WTO status.
如果卡梅伦现在反对中国的这一努力,他把英国定位为中国在西方“最佳伙伴”的努力就会受到损害。反映出此事敏感性的一个迹象是,来自英国保守党的欧洲议会议员没有支持欧洲议会反对提升中国在世贸组织地位的决议。
“We should not confuse the market economy status issue with the current situation in the steel industry,” said a spokesman for the UK department of business. “Russia has market economy status and the EU has taken anti-dumping measures against Russia.”
英国商务部发言人表示:“我们不应将市场经济地位问题与钢铁业目前的局面混为一谈。俄罗斯拥有市场经济地位,欧盟照样对俄采取了反倾销举措。”