中国海关总署新闻稿的字里行间 China plays down export prowess

 

随着一场“汇率战争”开始拉开战线，中国海关总署周三在巨大压力之下，对中国的巨额贸易顺差进行了一点“诠释”。

海关总署发布了官方新闻稿，公布了9月份的贸易数字。它在新闻稿中指出，9月份169亿美元的贸易顺差是5个月来最低的；它还提到，当月进口环比增长创历史新高。

但它却没有提及，9月份1450亿美元的出口额仅比7月份创纪录的出口额数字略低一点。

本周五，美国将决定是否因中国压低人民币汇率来保护其国内产业，而把中国正式列为汇率操纵国。

尽管美国各方曾就这个问题激辩多年，但它以前从未给中国安上这个名头。

然而在上个月，美国众议院通过了一部法案，将因为中国故意压低人民币汇率，对中国产品课以很重的进口关税。分析师们认为，中国现在比以往任何时候都更有可能被列为汇率操纵国。

在这种背景下，中国政府正以一种有点不同寻常的姿态，着意淡化本国出口能力，突出任何表明进口可能最终超过出口的迹象。

海关总署新闻稿中没有提及的另一个月度贸易数据重点是，9月份的原油进口量同比增长35%，创历史新高。

全球都密切关注着中国对能源的巨大渴求，中国政府对此非常敏感。国际能源机构(IEA)近期估计，中国已超过美国成为全球最大能源消费国，中国政府则发表声明，愤怒地予以否认。

所以，对中国政府来说，原油进口创新高只不过是另一件令人尴尬的里程碑事件，它宁愿不去大肆宣扬。

译者/李裕

 

http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001035026

 

 

With battle lines being drawn in a nascent “currency war”, China’s customs administration was under a lot of pressure on Wednesday to put a bit of spin on the country’s huge trade surplus.

In its official release announcing September’s trade data, the customs administration pointed out that the surplus of $16.9bn was the lowest in five months and also noted that month-on-month import growth hit a record high.

There was no mention that the $145bn worth of Chinese exports in September was only slightly lower than the record export figure recorded in July.

On Friday, the US will decide whether to formally name China a currency manipulator for protecting domestic industry by holding down the value of the renminbi.

It has never done so before, despite years of heated debate on the topic.

But last month the US House of Representatives passed legislation that would impose heavy import tariffs on China for intentionally undervaluing its currency and analysts believe there is a higher chance of Beijing being branded a manipulator than at any time in the past.

In this context, Beijing is in the somewhat unusual position of talking down its exporting prowess and highlighting any signs that imports could eventually outstrip exports.

Another important point from the monthly trade data that did not make it into the customs administration press release was the 35 per cent year-on-year increase in China’s crude oil import volume, a new record high.

Beijing is very sensitive to scrutiny of its insatiable thirst for energy supplies and issued angry denials when the International Energy Agency recently estimated China had overtaken the US as the world’s largest energy consumer.

So a new record in crude oil imports is just one more awkward milestone that Beijing would prefer not to advertise.

 

http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001035026/en