美国欲联合欧日打击中国知识产权
特朗普政府正寻求说服欧盟(EU)和日本，与美国联手打击中国的知识产权制度，此际，美国试图化解在华外资企业的首要担忧之一。
The move follows Washington’s launch in the summer of an investigation into Chinese IP theft and forced technology transfer rules that some fear could lead to US tariffs and a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. It also marks the administration’s first major attempt to co-operate with traditional trade allies in taking on China.
今年夏季，美国政府针对中国侵犯知识产权以及强迫技术转让的行为启动调查，一些人担心，调查可能会导致美国征收关税，同时全球最大的两个经济体将爆发贸易战。这还标志着美国政府与传统贸易盟友合作对抗中国的首次重大努力。
However, European and Japanese officials are wary and point to what they see as the risk in co-operating with a bellicose and mercurial US president who has vowed to pursue an “America First” foreign and trade policy.
然而，欧洲和日本官员有所顾忌，他们认为与一位好战且多变的美国总统合作是危险的，特朗普发誓将推行“美国优先”的外交和贸易政策。
Their reluctance follows battles over the administration’s now-stalled push to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium that would have hit allies such as Germany, Japan and South Korea hard. It also highlights how Donald Trump’s presidency has rewritten US relationships, making it harder for Washington to assemble the sort of diplomatic coalitions that presidents have traditionally used to tackle issues of mutual economic interest.
此前，美国政府采取的现已停滞的对钢铁和铝进口征收关税的举措引发争议，此举将严重损害德国、日本和韩国等盟友。这还突显出，唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)担任总统改写了美国关系，这加大了美国政府召集外交联盟的难度，美国总统一直利用这种外交联盟解决经济互利的问题。
According to senior officials familiar with the discussions, the US began approaching European Commission officials and EU member states as well as officials in Japan over the summer. The first approaches came just before Mr Trump signed an executive memorandum ordering US trade representative Robert Lighthizer to launch an investigation into China’s IP practice.
据了解相关会谈的高级官员称，美国从今年夏季开始接触欧盟委员会(European Commission)官员和欧盟成员国以及日本官员。首批接触就在特朗普签署行政备忘录命令美国贸易代表罗伯特•莱特希泽(Robert Lighthizer)针对中国知识产权惯例展开调查之前。
The “Section 301” investigation is controversial because it would give Mr Trump powers to impose unilateral tariffs and take other measures against China that could spark a trade war. The probe is expected to take up to a year, although some administration officials are pushing for it to be completed by the end of this year.
这次“301条款”(Section 301)调查备受争议，因为这将让特朗普有权征收单边关税并针对中国采取其他措施，这将引发贸易战。预计调查将耗时一年，不过美国政府一些官员正推动其在今年年底之前完成。
According to one person briefed on the talks, US trade officials suggested during a visit to Tokyo last month that Japan could take its own unilateral measures. However, Japanese officials pointed out there were no statutes on their books to allow this.
据获得此次会谈简要介绍的一位人士称，美国贸易官员曾在上月出访日本时建议，日本可以采取自己的单边措施。然而，日本官员指出，日本没有这种法规。
European and Japanese officials have told US counterparts that they would not join any action that would result in the US flouting World Trade Organisation rules, something that some nationalist members of the administration are keen to see.
欧洲和日本官员告诉美国官员，他们不会加入任何将导致美国无视世界贸易组织(WTO)规定的行动，而这种无视是美国政府内部一些民粹主义官员希望看到的。
“I don’t think we would be ready to support the US if at the end of the investigation they decide to go unilateral,” said one senior EU official.
一位欧洲高官表示：“我认为，如果在调查结束时，他们决定采取单边行动的话，那么我们还没有准备好支持美国。”
The EU and Japan have, however, indicated that they might be willing to work with the US if Mr Trump’s China fight results in one or more cases being brought against Beijing at the WTO.
然而，欧盟和日本表示，如果特朗普与中国的斗争导致在WTO针对中国提起一项或更多诉讼的话，他们愿意与美国合作。
Through a spokeswoman, Mr Lighthizer declined to confirm the approaches to the EU and Japan.
莱特希泽通过一位发言人拒绝证实美国与欧盟和日本的接触。
Companies from Europe, Japan and the US have increasingly complained about Chinese IP theft, hacking and industrial espionage in recent years. They have also raised growing concerns about rules that force them to take Chinese joint venture partners and transfer sensitive technologies in order to do business in China.
最近几年，越来越多的来自欧洲、日本和美国的公司指控中国窃取知识产权、非法入侵和从事工业间谍活动。它们还对中国的一些规定愈发担忧，这些规定迫使它们为了在中国经商，与中国合作伙伴组建合资公司并转让敏感技术。
During a rare public appearance in Washington this week Mr Lighthizer, a longtime China hawk, also sent mixed signals on whether the administration would be willing to take its fight to the WTO.
此外，本周在华盛顿罕见公开露面时，长期对中国持强硬态度的莱特希泽在美国政府是否愿意把战斗打到WTO发出了混杂的信号。
He said the US did not want to “prejudge” the outcome of the IP probe or what actions it might take. “If we turn up WTO violations, we’ll bring them to the WTO,” said Mr Lighthizer. “We’re not precluded from doing that, by any means.”
他表示，美国不希望“预先判断”知识产权调查的结果或者可能采取什么措施。“如果我们发现违反WTO规定的行为，我们将上诉至WTO，”他表示，“无论如何，我们不排除这么做。”
But he also separately argued that the WTO was not equipped to deal with China, calling Beijing’s economic model state-backed “mercantilism” and “a threat to the world trading system that is unprecedented”.
但他另外辩称，WTO不具备对付中国的能力，他把中国的经济模式称为由政府支持的“重商主义”和“对世界贸易体系的空前威胁”。
“The WTO and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, were not designed to successfully manage mercantilism on this scale,” he added. “We must find other ways to defend our companies, workers, farmers, and indeed our economic system.”
“WTO及其前身关贸总协定(GATT)的目的不是成功对付这种规模的重商主义，”他补充称，“我们必须找到其他方法保护我们的公司、员工、农民以及实际上我们的经济体制。”
