争夺中国投资，美国还需努力

    随着欧债危机持续发展，中国投资者越来越重视在葡萄牙、西班牙、希腊和其他国家寻找机会，这些为债务所困的政府正在出售公共资产。Rhodium的数据显示，2011年中国向欧洲投资超过90亿美元。

    但爱尔兰所做的可不只是出售公共资产这么简单。这应该也不意外，因为过去爱尔兰经济也是依靠出口和外国投资。从辉瑞（Pfizer）到Facebook，很多美国的跨国公司都已在爱尔兰设立了欧洲总部。爱尔兰希望中国公司也能接踵而至——当地的低企业税率，相对受到良好教育的、以英语为母语的劳动力都对跨国公司具有吸引力。

    是的，争夺中国投资的竞争正在升温。如果美国不更努力地与爱尔兰或其他国家展开竞争，人们很容易觉得美国在这个问题上犯了错。应该承认，爱尔兰目前的财政状况比美国严峻得多，因此迫切地需要吸引一切能够吸引到的投资。经过楼市暴跌和银行业危机之后，爱尔兰的失业率目前已经高达14%。

    爱尔兰正在努力扭转这一局面。近月来，一些迹象显示投资者似乎已重拾信心，相信爱尔兰能比其他欧洲国家更好地解决债务危机。由于2011年经济增速好于预期（主要受出口拉动），爱尔兰10年期国债收益率已从去年7月的峰值14%下降到了8.2%。而且，自从2010年11月被迫接受欧盟-国际货币基金组织（International Monetary Fund）庞大的救助方案以来，今年1月爱尔兰首度重返国际债券市场。

    但凯尔特之虎瞄准的目标不只是中国。本月早些时候，爱尔兰宣布将下调针对某些高技能外国雇员的征税，以期吸引新的投资。

    是的，爱尔兰已意识到国内经济的疲弱，希望借助外国投资者的力量重现经济繁荣。美国会效仿爱尔兰，而不是寄望于保护主义吗？

    As Europe's ongoing debt crisis unfolds, Chinese investors have increasingly looked to Portugal, Spain, Greece and others for opportunities as debt-troubled governments sell off public assets. In 2011, China invested more than $9 billion in Europe, according to Rhodium.

    But Ireland is doing more than banking on public assets. And this should probably come as little surprise, given that the country previously built up its economy on exports and foreign investments. Many U.S. multinationals, from Pfizer (PFE) to Facebook, have based their European headquarters in Ireland. And Ireland hopes Chinese companies might follow, with the allure of its low corporate tax rates and relatively well-educated workforce of English speakers.

    Indeed, the competition for Chinese investments is ramping up. And it's hard not to wonder if the U.S. might be mistaken for not competing better with the Irish and others. Admittedly, Ireland is in a much tougher financial spot than the U.S. and eager to lure all the investment it can. Its unemployment rate is running at a high 14%, after having been battered by a property market crash and a banking crisis.

    Ireland is turning it around. In recent months, investors have signaled renewed confidence that Ireland could overcome its financial problems better than the rest of Europe. Irish 10-year bond yields have slid to 8.2% since last July's peak of about 14% partly on better than expected growth for 2011 (driven largely by exports). What's more, in January, Ireland returned to the international bond market for the first time since it was forced to accept a mega European Union-International Monetary Fund bailout package in November 2010.

    The Celtic Tiger isn't just narrowing its focus on China, however. Earlier this month, Ireland announced it would cut the amount of tax levied on some highly skilled foreign workers in an effort to attract new investments.

    Indeed, Ireland realizes its economy at home is weak and has turned to investors abroad to help return it to its heydays. Instead of falling on protectionist rhetoric, might the U.S. follow?