中國外商投資額下降

????最近，中國經濟亮起了“黃燈”。

????外商直接投資（Foreign direct investment）或外國公司通過并購、收購和資本投資投入中國業務的資金額跌至兩年半以來的新低。據中國商務部（China’s Ministry of Commerce）公布的數據顯示，今年1至8月份，外商投資額同比下降約2%，為780億美元。聰明的熱錢，或至少在押注中國的熱錢，正變得更加謹慎。

????過去幾個月，與中國有關的頭條新聞，透露出背后的部分原因。過去大半年，中國經濟持續放緩。八月份，制造業增長跌至2008年以來的低谷。七八月份低迷的經濟數據意味著，中國要實現2014年GDP增長7.5%的目標存在難度。前兩個季度，中國的GDP增長速度分別為7.4%和7.5%。因此外國投資者可能會做出謹慎的反應。

????此外，疲軟的投資數據可能也象征著，外國公司在中國的處境正變得更加艱難。

????雖然中國商務部發言人表示外商直接投資下降與中國對西方公司的調查“毫無關系”，但許多觀察家認為兩者存在聯系。西方行業組織，包括中國美國商會（American Chamber of Commerce in China），均表示外國公司感覺面臨更大壓力。美國商會對外資公司進行的調查顯示，有60%的公司表示感覺沒有一年前那樣受歡迎。中國在今年開始對外國汽車制造商進行反壟斷調查之后，大眾汽車（Volkswagen）旗下的奧迪（Audi）、戴姆勒（Daimler）旗下的梅賽德斯-奔馳（Mercedes-Benz）、菲亞特（Fiat）旗下的克萊斯勒（Chrysler）和其他汽車制造商，均繳納了罰款。

????與此同時，雖然中國投資前景黯淡，但前八個月中國海外投資額的增長卻超過15%，達到650億美元。（財富中文網）

????翻譯：劉進龍/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.