中國討論將高鐵賣給美國
State-owned Chinese firms are in discussions to sell high-speed trains to the UnitedStates, senior officials said on Thursday, a deal that would be likely to ignite controversy.
國有的中國公司正在討論將高鐵賣給美國，一名高級官員週四說，這樣的交易可能會引發爭議。
China'sleaders have been promoting the country's fast rail technologies in meetingswith foreign politicians as they seek to move the country's exports up thevalue chain, and Chinese companies are building high-speed rail networks inTurkey and Venezuela.
在與外國政治家會談時中國領導人總是向他們推銷中國的高鐵技術，他們想讓自己的出口產品進入價值鏈的頂端，而且中國公司正在土耳其和委內瑞拉建造高鐵。But a contract for a Chinese-led consortium to build a high-speed rail line in Mexicowas scrapped only days after it was signed, and a deal to supply subway trains to Boston also generated controversy.
之前，由中國人領導的一家財團競標獲得墨西哥高鐵項目後，沒過幾天就被墨西哥政府取消了，以及向波士頓提供地鐵車廂的交易也引發了爭議。
For China to build infrastructure in the United States -- where a number of high-speed rail proposals have come to naught -- or supply it with rolling stock would be politically sensitive.
對於中國來說，在美國建造基礎設施或者向美國提供軌道車輛，在政治上是非常敏感的。在美國，好幾個高鐵提議都失敗了。But Zhi Luxun, a senior official with the commerce ministry's foreign trade department, told AFP Thursday: "There are currently discussions with the United States."
但是中國商務部外貿司的一位高級官員支陸遜週四對法新社說：“現在正與美國在談判中。”He wasresponding to a question about possible Chinese exports of high-speed trains.
他在被問及中國是否可能向美國出口高鐵時如是說道。Officialsdid not provide further details and said it was a matter for the companiesconcerned.
官員們沒有提供更多的細節，稱這是相關企業自己的事情。Anumber of high-speed rail projects are under consideration in the United States including in Texas and Florida, but only one has entered the early stages of construction-- in California, under a Spanish consortium -- while others have fallen by the wayside.
在美國，有一些高鐵項目正在考慮中，包括了德克薩斯州和佛羅里達的，但是隻有一個開始了建造，即加州的，由一個西班牙財團建造。而其他的項目已經半途而廢。Only begun in 1999, China's high-speed rail network has quickly become the largest in the world, with more than 16,000 kilometres of track in service last year,Zhi said during a briefing.
中國高鐵於1999年開始出現，如今，中國的高鐵網絡已經成爲世界第一，去年，中國的高鐵里程就達到了16000公里。
The country is also negotiating with Russia, Laos and Thailand on construction ofhigh-speed rail lines there, said Zhou Zhenwu, an official with the commerceministry's department of outward investment and economic cooperation.
中國還正在與俄羅斯，老撾，以及泰國進行高鐵建設談判，商務部對外投資和經濟合作司的一名官員稱。China's railway equipment exports increased by 34.7 percent annually from $80 millionin 2001 to $3.74 billion last year, Zhi said.
2001年到去年期間，中國鐵路設備出口年均增長34.7%，2001年爲8000萬美元，去年達到了37.4億美元。
