紐時賞析／歐洲經濟陷於中美博弈的困境

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，許多人認為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。他計畫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，相關計畫一直變動中。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周一覽無遺。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.

這個分歧在本周末更明顯。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。中國大陸周日宣布他們會採取報復。

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.

但隨著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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【張佑生】

兩大之間難為小，歐盟絕對不小，面對美中博弈，仍陷入兩難困境。Geopolitical chokehold形容歐盟被美國和中國的經濟和政治力量「夾擊」，處於一種進退兩難的被動局面，彷彿被掐住咽喉，難以自由行動。chokehold是鎖喉，直白說法是「卡脖子」。

The officer had him in a chokehold.幾年前，美國發生過員警以此方式執法壓制犯嫌鬧出人命的新聞。美中博弈全面開打，美國限制高階晶片出口到中國，中國則限制稀土出口作為報復：China rare earth curbs put US in chokehold.

Level the playing field直譯是「平整比賽場地」，引申為「建立公平競爭環境」。這個短語源自體育比賽，特別是像足球或橄欖球這樣的運動，確保比賽場地平整，沒有任何一方因場地條件而獲得不公平的優勢。比喻意義上，它指的是消除不公平的條件或障礙，讓所有參與者在相同的規則和條件下競爭。

1980年代NBA波士頓塞爾蒂克隊主場「花園球場」(TD Garden)以地板不平整而惡名昭彰，遭諷為另類「主場優勢」。