中国外商投资额下降

    最近，中国经济亮起了“黄灯”。

    外商直接投资（Foreign direct investment）或外国公司通过并购、收购和资本投资投入中国业务的资金额跌至两年半以来的新低。据中国商务部（China’s Ministry of Commerce）公布的数据显示，今年1至8月份，外商投资额同比下降约2%，为780亿美元。聪明的热钱，或至少在押注中国的热钱，正变得更加谨慎。

    过去几个月，与中国有关的头条新闻，透露出背后的部分原因。过去大半年，中国经济持续放缓。八月份，制造业增长跌至2008年以来的低谷。七八月份低迷的经济数据意味着，中国要实现2014年GDP增长7.5%的目标存在难度。前两个季度，中国的GDP增长速度分别为7.4%和7.5%。因此外国投资者可能会做出谨慎的反应。

    此外，疲软的投资数据可能也象征着，外国公司在中国的处境正变得更加艰难。

    虽然中国商务部发言人表示外商直接投资下降与中国对西方公司的调查“毫无关系”，但许多观察家认为两者存在联系。西方行业组织，包括中国美国商会（American Chamber of Commerce in China），均表示外国公司感觉面临更大压力。美国商会对外资公司进行的调查显示，有60%的公司表示感觉没有一年前那样受欢迎。中国在今年开始对外国汽车制造商进行反垄断调查之后，大众汽车（Volkswagen）旗下的奥迪（Audi）、戴姆勒（Daimler）旗下的梅赛德斯-奔驰（Mercedes-Benz）、菲亚特（Fiat）旗下的克莱斯勒（Chrysler）和其他汽车制造商，均缴纳了罚款。

    与此同时，虽然中国投资前景黯淡，但前八个月中国海外投资额的增长却超过15%，达到650亿美元。（财富中文网）

    翻译：刘进龙/汪皓

    The latest economic reading out of China is flashing yellow.

    Foreign direct investment, or the amount of money foreign businesses plow into Chinese operations via mergers, acquisitions and capital investments, hit a 2-and-a-half-year low in the country. The January-Aug. period fell almost 2% from a year earlier to $78 billion, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce. The smart money, or at least the kind making bets on China, is acting cautious.

    The headlines coming out of China over the past few months begin to tell the story. The Chinese economy has been slowing for the better part of a year. In August, factory growth fell to its lowest point since 2008. Soft reads on economic data in July and August indicated that China reaching its goal of 7.5% GDP growth for 2014 will be difficult, after already posting 7.4% and 7.5% GDP growth in the first and second quarters respectively. Foreigners might be reacting cautiously.

    The weak investment data might also be a symptom of a harsher landscape for foreign businesses in China.

    While a Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman was quick to say there was “no relation” between the falling levels of FDI and Chinese regulators’ investigations into Western companies, many observers have made the link. Western business groups including the American Chamber of Commerce in China have said foreign businesses feel more pressured. Sixty percent of company respondents to a recent U.S. Chamber survey said they felt less welcome than a year before. After antimonopoly probes into foreign automakers this year, Volkswagen’s Audi, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, Fiat’s Chrysler and other automakers have paid fines.

    Meanwhile, amid the glum outlook for investment in China, China’s outbound investments around the world increased more than 15% in the first eight months of the year to hit $65 billion.