英国缘何钟情亚投行
Understandably, David Cameron ignored Foreign Office advice in signing the UK up to membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. If one took any notice of those killjoys, one would never do anything fun, such as importing dangerous wild animals, holidaying in Yemen or lending moral support to a repressive superpower.
戴维•卡梅伦(David Cameron)没有理会英国外交部(Foreign Office)的建议，拍板让英国加入亚洲基础设施投资银行(Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank，简称亚投行) ，这是可以理解的。如果理会英国外交部那帮扫兴的人，就永远干不了好玩的事情，比如进口危险的野生动物、在也门度假，或者向一个专制的超级大国给予道义支持。
The FO tried to block the UK’s application, which George Osborne had sponsored, predicting it would annoy the Americans. The US controls the World Bank, the most hated development bank in the southern hemisphere, and does not want rivals for that valuable franchise.
英国申请加入亚投行是由财政大臣乔治•奥斯本(George Osborne)主推的，英国外交部尝试阻止这一行动，预测此举将惹恼美国。美国控制着世界银行(World Bank)——在南半球最遭人痛恨的一家发展银行，美国不想看到任何对手插手这项宝贵的事业。The chancellor, however, is keen to foster Anglo-Chinese relations, and with them Chinese investment in the City of London. This is a worthy aim. the Square Mile is already Europe’s main centre for renminbi trading. The London Metal Exchange is Chinese-owned, Lloyd’s has Chinese participants and giant Chinese asset manager Harvest is in the process of setting up a UK subsidiary.
然而，英国财相热衷于促进英中关系，希望借此增进中国对伦敦金融城(City of London)的投资。这是一个颇具价值的目标。弹丸之地的伦敦金融城已成为欧洲主要的人民币交易中心。伦敦金属交易所(London Metal Exchange)已经为中资所有，劳合社(Lloyd's of London)有中资参与，中国资产管理巨头嘉实(Harvest Capital Management)正在组建一个英国子公司。
The coup of becoming the first EU state to announce its membership of the AIIB shows the UK proudly taking its place in the world: as a nation capable of achieving a brief diplomatic advantage over Luxembourg. It is moot whether this will make any difference to a City trend driven by liquidity. Contact with Bank of England officials may however show Chinese bankers which practices are best avoided.
英国出其不意地成为第一个宣布加入亚投行的欧盟(EU)国家，表明英国自豪于自己在世界上占据的地位：一个在短时间内拥有相对于卢森堡的外交优势的国家。至于此举对于由流动性驱动的伦敦金融城趋势将带来什么不同，则是无关紧要的。不过，接触一下英国央行(Bank of England)的官员们，或许能提醒中国的银行家们什么样的做法最好避免。They, for their part, have vanquished logic by creating an exclusive club almost anyone appears able to join.
中方做到了不合逻辑的事情：建立一个似乎谁都能加入的专属俱乐部。Mr Osborne must now score a lasting victory over the expansionism of Luxembourg. He must ensure the AIIB’s European office is in the UK. Birmingham, maybe? HSBC, another Asia-rooted group is moving its UK bank there. And there is a nice pagoda in the city centre that will help Chinese bankers feel at home.
现在，面对卢森堡的扩张主义，奥斯本必须赢得一场持久的胜利。他必须保证亚投行的欧洲分部设在英国。伯明翰或许不错？在亚洲源远流长的另一家银行汇丰(HSBC)正将英国总部迁往此地。伯明翰的市中心有一座漂亮的佛塔，或许会让中国的银行家们产生故乡的感觉。
