 | ■ International
Pork politics
豬肉政治
China's top butcher tries to sell US on takeover
中國最大肉品商試圖說服美國接受收購案 |
| At an age when most Chinese executives are long retired, the country's top hog butcher is taking on a daunting new job — persuading Americans to allow him to complete China's biggest takeover of a U.S. company. | 在這個大多數中國高階主管都早已退休的時代，該國最大的豬肉製造商展開了一項艱鉅的工作，說服美國人讓他完成中國最大手筆收購一家美國企業的案子。 |
| Shuanghui International's US$4.7 billion (approximately NT$140 billion) bid for Smithfield Foods Ltd. has the endorsement of the U.S. company's board. But facing anxiety over food safety scandals in China, 72-year-old chairman Wan Long has launched a charm offensive to reassure Americans they have nothing to fear and possibly much to gain from the tie-up. | 雙匯集團高達四十七億美元（約新台幣一千四百億元）收購 Smithfield 食品股份有限公司的案子，已獲得該美國企業董事會的支持。可是在面臨中國食品安全醜聞的疑慮中，雙匯集團七十二歲的董事長萬隆發動了一場魅力攻勢，來向美國保證他們無須擔心，而且還能從這項收購案中獲得諸多好處。 |
| "We want to be vigilant that Smithfield's brand doesn't change, its team doesn't change, its production sites don't change, it doesn't cut jobs," said Wan in an interview at Shuanghui's 15-story headquarters in the eastern Chinese city of Luohe. As for reassuring American consumers about quality, Smithfield "already has a very good food safety control system," Wan said. "With our support, they will do better in terms of quality and safety controls." | 萬隆在中國東部漯河市雙匯集團十五層樓總部接受訪問時表示：「我們得小心確保 Smithfield 的品牌不會改變，它的工廠不會遷址，而且工作不會減少。」至於向美國消費者保證品質方面，萬隆表示，Smithfield「已經有很好的食品安全管制系統。有了我們的支持，他們 在品質和安全管制方面會更上一層樓。」 |
| Wan's strategy of talking to reporters and inviting them to visit Shuanghui's packing plants is an unusual approach in China, where companies are secretive and corporate bosses rarely speak in public. As Chinese companies expand abroad, those habits have hurt some firms when the U.S., Australia and other countries balked at acquisitions by unfamiliar buyers in oil, mining and technology industries. Shuanghui's approach appears to reflect an understanding that success requires not just money but winning over politicians and consumers. | 萬隆對記者發言並邀請他們參觀雙匯的包裝工廠的策略，在中國是種十分罕見的作法，因為該國企業的行事機密，而且企業主鮮少會在公開場合發言。隨著中國企業將事業版圖拓展到海外，這樣的習慣得罪了部分 企業，因為美國、澳洲與其他國家抗拒了名不見經傳的買家在石油、礦業和高科技業的收購行動。雙匯集團的作法似乎反映他們理解成功不光是只要錢，還要獲得政治人物及消費者的支持才行。 |
| "There are plenty of examples of Chinese companies that made the largest offer but were not ultimately accepted," said Kenneth Jarrett, an expert on government relations for consulting firm APCO Worldwide in Shanghai. "For any Chinese company looking at any investment in the U.S., they need to be aware of the political dynamic." | 上海 APCO Worldwide 顧問公司的政府關係專家肯尼斯賈瑞特表示：「中國企業提供最高價碼但收購行動最終未被接受的例子多得不勝枚舉。對任何想在美國投資的中國企業來說，他們必須留意政治的風向球。」 |
| In an effort to defuse American concerns, Shuanghui took the unusual step for a food company of announcing in advance that it would submit the proposed acquisition for a U.S. government security review. Despite this, Wan is confident that the deal will go through. | 為了消弭美國的疑慮，雙匯集團採取了事前宣佈會將這項收購案，提交給美國政府進行安全審查這個特殊做法。儘管如此，萬隆有信心這項收購案將會獲得核准。 |
| "Our acquisition of Smithfield should be a 'win-win' development. We want to support it to continue to become bigger and stronger, and to realize its expansion abroad," Wan said. "I hope this acquisition can help improve Chinese-U.S. relations and broaden trade between the two countries and bring more benefits to their people." | 萬隆表示：「我們收購 Smithfield 的行動應該是個雙贏的發展。我們想繼續支持它，好讓它繼續成長茁壯，並讓它在海外的拓展能成真。我希望這項收購案能有助於改善中、美關係，拓展兩國之間的貿易，並為兩國人民帶來更多好處。」 |
沒有留言:
張貼留言