【英语国际】美国副国务卿：中国面临美国国会攻击

China risks a backlash from the U.S. Congress unless it becomes more responsive to international concerns about its currency value and trade practices, a top U.S. State Department official warned.

Difficult economic conditions, inflated unemployment levels, and election-year politics create a politically combustible environment, said Robert Hormats, under secretary of State for economic, energy and agricultural affairs, told The Wall Street Journal. A lack of action by the Chinese to address U.S. concerns about currency issues and intellectual-property protections could encourage a more protectionist agenda on Capitol Hill.

'We're likely to see some legislation offered that would be adverse to Chinese interests' if more steps aren't taken, Mr. Hormats warned.

The comments came just ahead of a trip by two top administration officials to Beijing for high-level talks aimed at easing growing tension between the U.S. and China. National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers and Deputy National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon are scheduled to arrive this weekend to meet with Chinese officials on a number of issues, with currency valuation a likely topic.

The meeting comes at an important time. Earlier this week, the U.S. Commerce Department sparked an outcry among some members of Congress for declining to investigate allegations that China's currency policy effectively acts as an export subsidy on products such as aluminum.

'It's clear that China games the system by manipulating its currency,' Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) said in a statement Tuesday.

China in June signaled it would address U.S. concerns by beginning to allow its currency to appreciate, dropping a de facto peg to the U.S. dollar. Since then, however, the Chinese yuan has risen just 0.4%. Mr. Hormats declined to discuss yuan valuation, but said there hasn't been a lot of progress on broader issues involving intellectual-property rights and other trade concerns.

He said both countries need to avoid the 'political dangers' associated with legislation.

'What we're trying to do is convince the Chinese there are global norms,' he said.

Another key dilemma for U.S. policy makers is how to improve the flow of U.S. goods to countries with emerging economies, including China, that have weathered the recent economic storm better than their more established rivals. A key challenge, Mr. Hormats said, was convincing these countries that export-led growth isn't sustainable indefinitely.

'It's not healthy for them to continue to rely on the heavily indebted American consumer,' he said.

The Obama administration hopes to spur U.S. exports, in part, by continuing to seek trade agreements with countries such as South Korea. Mr. Hormats said such agreements can be 'enormously beneficial' to the economy and allow U.S. manufacturers to keep pace with competitors whose governments are rapidly seeking their own trade deals.

'If we sit on the sidelines, the world will pass us by,' he said.

Much uncertainty also surrounds the decision of whether to resurrect the Doha round of international trade talks. Mr. Hormats said the idea is still being discussed, but expressed concern that emerging-market countries such as Brazil, China and India are using their increased economic leverage to limit the negotiations.

'They have to put more on the table,' he said of the key to any potential talks.

国国务院一位高官警告说，中国如果不更加积极地响应国际社会对人民币汇率及中国贸易政策的担忧，则有可能招致美国国会发难。

美国国务院负责经济、能源与农业事务的副国务卿霍马茨(Robert Hormats)对《华尔街日报》说，艰难的经济形势、居高不下的失业率和选举年的政治形势，构造了一个容易燃起强烈政治反应的环境。中国如果不采取行动消除美国方面对汇率问题和知识产权保护的担忧，则有可能助长美国国会的保护主义倾向。

霍马茨警告说，如果中国不采取新的措施，美国国会有可能提出一些不利于中国利益的法案。

霍马茨发表这些言论后不久，奥巴马政府两位高官赶赴北京出席高层会谈，以舒缓日趋紧张的美中关系。国家经济委员会(National Economic Council)主任萨默斯(Lawrence Summers)、国家安全事务副顾问唐尼隆(Thomas Donilon)于刚刚过去的周末抵达中国，就一系列议题同中国官员举行会谈，期间很有可能谈到了汇率问题。

会谈时逢一个重要的时点。有人说中国汇率政策在事实上起着补贴铝材等出口产品的作用，美国商务部在上周拒绝就这一指控展开调查，结果引起国会部分议员的强烈反对。

代表俄亥俄州的民主党参议员布朗(Sherrod Brown)上周二发表声明说，很明显，中国在通过操纵汇率玩弄游戏规则。

中国方面在6月份暗示，它将放弃人民币事实上盯住美元的制度，着手开始允许人民币升值，以此打消美国方面的担忧。但自那以来，人民币升值幅度仅有0.4%。霍马茨拒绝谈论人民币汇率问题，但他说，在涉及知识产权和其他贸易问题的更大议题上，取得的进展还不是很多。

他说，两国需要避开与立法有关的“政治险境”。

他说，我们在努力做的，是让中国人相信，国际惯例是存在的。

美国政策制定者还面临着另外一个重要难题，即怎样增加美国对中国等新兴市场经济体的出口。在最近的经济风暴中，这些国家的抗打击能力比发达国家表现得更加良好。霍马茨说，一个关键的挑战，就在于怎样说服这些国家，让它们相信出口拉动的经济增长是不可能无限期维持的。

他说，继续依赖于负债累累的美国消费者，对它们来说是没有好处的。

奥巴马政府希望通过继续寻求同韩国等国达成自由贸易协定，连同其他措施来增加美国的出口。霍马茨说，这类协定可以给美国经济带来“巨大”的利益，在其他国家纷纷加快寻求相互签订自贸协定之际，美国制造企业将不至于落后于这些国家的竞争对手。

他说，如果我们作壁上观，世界将离我们而远去。

多哈回合国际贸易谈判是否决定重启，同样也存在很大的不确定性。霍马茨说，重启的想法仍在讨论，但他担心，由于巴西、中国和印度等新兴市场国家的经济影响力正越来越大，谈判可能难以顺利进行。

他在谈到谈判成败的关键时说，它们需要承诺更多的付出。