斯里蘭卡總理承諾延續與中國的投資關係

Sri Lanka’s controversial investment ties with China are set to continue amid a broader push to attract foreign capital if the country’s current government prevails in Monday’s parliamentary election, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe says.

斯里蘭卡總理拉尼爾維克勒馬辛哈(Ranil Wickremesinghe)表示，如果斯里蘭卡現政府在週一的議會選舉中獲勝，將展開更大的努力吸引外資，斯里蘭卡與中國之間備受爭議的投資關係將延續下去。

The island nation’s reliance on infrastructure funding from Beijing has caused alarm in both India and the west, where it is viewed as a sign of creeping Chinese influence throughout south Asia.

這個島國對中方基建資金的依賴，已引起印度和西方國家的警覺。在印度和西方看來，這種現象表明中國在悄悄擴大對整個南亞的影響力。

But Mr Wickramasinghe, a leader viewed as pro-western by most analysts, told the Financial Times that his centre-right United National party would continue to seek Chinese funds if it retained power.

但被多數分析人士視爲親西方領導人的維克勒馬辛哈向英國《金融時報》表示，如果他所在的中右翼統一國民黨(United National)能夠繼續掌權，該黨將繼續尋求獲得中國的資金。

“We have told the Chinese, the Japanese and everyone else that all loans must be on competitive terms,” he said. “But if there are other [new] investment projects...琠梔攀 Chinese or anyone else are free to come in, on terms set down by us.”

他說：“我們已告訴中國人、日本人及其他所有人，一切貸款都須建立在競爭性條件基礎上。不過，如果有其他（新的）投資項目……中國人或其他所有人都可按照我們定下的條件來投資。”

Sri Lanka heads to the polls on Monday in a closely fought contest pitting Mr Wickramasinghe and his coalition ally President Matripala Sirisena against Mahinda Rajapaksa, the country’s former president and architect of its closer ties with China. The results are expected on Tuesday.

週一，斯里蘭卡將舉行選舉。這是一場勢均力敵的較量，其中一方是維克勒馬辛哈及其聯合政府的盟友、斯里蘭卡總統邁特里帕拉纏裏塞納(Maithripala Sirisena)，另一方是斯里蘭卡前總統馬欣達拉賈帕克薩(Mahinda Rajapaksa)。拉賈帕克薩也是斯中更密切關係的構建者。大選的結果預計將於週二公佈。

A number of large Chinese-backed projects remain either half-finished or on hold, after a spate of reviews and anti-corruption investigations following Mr Rajapaksa’s defeat in presidential elections in January.

目前，斯里蘭卡多個由中國投資的大型項目依然處於半完工或停工狀態。今年1月拉賈帕克薩在總統選舉中失敗後，這些項目曾遭遇一系列審覈和反腐調查。

In particular, work on the $1.4bn Colombo Port City property development — a Dubai-style island being built on reclaimed land off the coast of the capital — has been suspended since March.

特別值得一提的是，自3月以來，價值14億美元的科倫坡港口城(Colombo Port City)地產開發項目一直處於停工狀態。該項目位於斯里蘭卡首都科倫坡海岸附近，是一個迪拜風格的填海造出的島嶼。

Mr Wickramasinghe said the project was now “dependent” on an environmental review but he also noted that he had backed a similar scheme during his previous term as prime minister between 2001 and 2004.

維克勒馬辛哈表示，該項目的命運現在“取決於”環評結果。但他也指出，他上次於2001年至2004年擔任總理時，曾支持過類似的計劃。

Two other senior government officials told the FT they did not expect the Port City to be scrapped. “It will go ahead in some form,” one said.

另兩位政府高官告訴英國《金融時報》，他們預計港口城項目不會被取消。其中一名官員表示：“該項目會以某種方式向前推進。”

Big new Chinese-backed projects could include a large dockyard in the island’s south as well as elements of Mr Wickramasinghe’s plan to turn Colombo and its surrounding region into a “megapolis”.

中國投資的新大型項目，可能包括斯里蘭卡南部的一個大型船廠，以及維克勒馬辛哈“大都市”計劃涵蓋的項目。維克勒馬辛哈打算將科倫坡及其周邊地區打造成一個“大都市”。

The megapolis scheme includes a raft of urban transit, property and logistics projects, all areas in which Chinese state companies have successfully won contracts in other Asian countries.

“大都市”計劃包含一系列城市交通、房地產及物流項目——在所有這些領域，中國國企都曾在亞洲其他國家成功贏得過合同。

If, as many analysts expect, he returns as prime minister following Monday's poll, Mr Wickramasinghe said he would strike trade agreements with China and India as part of attempts to persuade global companies to establish new export-focused facilities in the country to target Asia’s two largest emerging markets.

維克勒馬辛哈表示，如果他（像許多分析師預期的那樣）在週一大選後得以連任總理，他將與中國和印度達成貿易協議。維克勒馬辛哈試圖藉助這些貿易協議來說服全球企業在斯里蘭卡建立新的出口導向型工廠，面向亞洲這兩個最大的新興市場出口。