老挝万象谋求与中国加深关系 [美国媒体]

Capital of Laos Seeks Stronger Ties to China

老挝万象谋求与中国加深关系



20 years ago, this Southeast Asian city began construction of infrastructure.

20年前，这座位于东南亚的城市才开始基础设施建设。

Now, Vientiane, the capital of Laos, has changed dramatically. Cars were parked in the streets of the city and cafes, restaurants and bars were everywhere in the business district, catering to the small but growing middle class.

如今，老挝首都万象发生了天翻地覆的变化。城市街面停满了汽车，商业区随处可见咖啡厅、饭店、酒吧，迎合规模不大但日益壮大的中产阶级。

In recent years, China's investment in resource-rich Laos has boosted the country's economic growth, which is expected to reach 7% this year. This trend is reflected in the Vientiane hot real estate market. The country hopes to strengthen its ties with its neighbors through China to attract investment from other neighboring countries.

近年来，中国人对资源丰富的老挝进行投资，促进了该国经济发展——预计今年经济增长率达到7%。万象火爆的房地产市场体现了这一态势。该国希望通过中国加强其与邻国的联系，吸引周边其他国家的投资。

Crucial to these hopes is a 260-mile, $5 billion rail line that Beijing seeks to extend through Laos to Thailand, a much larger market.

对这些希望至关重要的是一条260英里长、耗资50亿美元的铁路线，中国政府试图将这条铁路线从老挝延伸到泰国——一个比老挝大得多的市场。



Chinese businessmen are the dominant property investors in Vientiane, along with a mix of Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai investors, Mr. Saiyalath said. Chinese companies are also players in the largest property developments in the city. This is apparent on the east end of downtown Vientiane’s riverside, where the Laotian and French colonial architecture yields to a mile-long stretch of prime real estate developed by the Camce Investment (Lao) Company, a joint venture between China CAMC Engineering and the Laotian construction company Krittaphong Group. With its investment, Camce is aiming to draw wealthy locals and foreigners.

赛亚拉特说，中国商人是万象主要的房地产投资者，另外也有许多老挝、越南和泰国投资者。中国企业还参与了一些万象最大的房地产开发项目，这在万象市中心的河滨东端很明显。在这里，老挝和法国殖民时期的建筑让位给了中工国际投资（老挝）有限公司(Camce)的一处一英里长的高端房地产。Camce是中国的中工国际工程公司和老挝建筑公司吉达蓬集团(Krittaphong Group)的合资企业。得到这笔投资后，Camce希望能吸引富有的当地人和外国人。

The Landmark compound on the east end of the Camce development combines high-end residential, hotel, restaurant and event spaces to create an exclusive, gated community. Landmark Diplomatic Residence offers luxury apartments for rent only, from $1,000 to $2,200 a month, said Neo Liang, a Chinese manager at Camce’s marketing office. Next door, offering unobstructed views of the Mekong River and Thailand on the other side, is the five-star Landmark Mekong Riverside Hotel, where President Barack Obama stayed in the presidential suite during his visit to Laos in 2016.

位于Camce开发项目东端的“地标”园区结合了高端住宅、酒店、餐厅和活动空间，以创造一个专属的封闭式社区。Camce市场营销办公室的一位中国经理尼奥·梁(Neo Liang)说，“地标外交公寓”只提供豪华公寓的租赁，月租金从1,000美元到2,200美元不等。隔壁是五星级的湄公河畔地标酒店(Landmark Mekong Riverside Hotel)，在那里可以一览无余地观赏湄公河和对岸泰国的美景。2016年，美国总统巴拉克·奥巴马(Barack Obama)在老挝访问期间，曾入住该酒店的总统套房。

Farther upstream, ASEM Villa features 50 fully furnished and decorated “mansion villas” for rent, starting at $4,500 a month. Mr. Liang said the gated community was more than 90 percent occupied, with a variety of tenants.

再往上游走是亚欧峰会元首官邸别墅(ASEM Villa)——50套家具齐全、装修豪华的“豪宅别墅”供出租，起价每月4500美元。梁先生说，这个封闭的社区入住率超过90%，有各种各样的租户。

“They’re from all over — Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Singaporeans,” he said.

“他们从各地来——有韩国人、日本人、中国人、新加坡人，”他说。

A visit to ASEM Villa showed a strong presence by Chinese state-owned companies, including China Railway Group, which is building the rail line to Vientiane, and PowerChina, which has numerous projects of its own and via subsidiaries throughout Laos. Other offices with Chinese tenants included a Belt and Road information center and a Chinese culture center. The Singaporean ambassador’s residence and the European Union’s office for Laos are also there.

走进元首官邸别墅会发现，这里有许多中国国有企业，包括正在建设通往万象的铁路线的中国中铁集团，以及在老挝各地拥有众多自有项目和子公司的中国电力。其他有中国租户的办公室包括“一带一路”信息中心和中国文化中心。新加坡驻老挝大使官邸和欧盟驻老挝办事处也在那里。



Chinese expatriates and tourists are not the only diners to be found at these restaurants. For middle-class and wealthier Laotians, dining at a Chinese restaurant is a sign of sophistication and worldliness.

中国侨民和游客并不是这些餐馆里唯一的食客。对于中产阶级和富裕的老挝人来说，在中餐馆吃饭是一种有涵养、见过世面的表现。

On weekend nights, Vientiane New World’s beer garden is filled with young Laotians eating and drinking at dozens of tiny open-air bars and restaurants, typically constructed with corrugated metal. Offering a relatively upscale alternative to the night markets farther down the riverside, each establishment’s music competes with that of the neighbors.

周末的晚上，万象新世界的啤酒花园挤满了年轻的老挝人，他们在几十家小型露天酒吧和餐厅里吃喝。这些地方通常都是用波纹金属板建成的。和下游河边的夜市相比，这里是一个相对高档的选择。在前者那里，每家店都在和隔壁比谁的音乐更吵。

Camce’s riverside investment is but one Chinese project transforming the city. Shanghai Wanfeng has invested $300 million of a projected $5 billion total in That Luang Lake, which has just begun its second of four phases that are scheduled for completion in 2032. Of the 11 buildings already built, four condominiums are selling units, Mr. Saiyalath said. Two more buildings — a hotel and serviced apartments — are preparing to open.

Camce的沿河投资只是其中一个正在改变城市的中国项目。上海万丰在塔琅湖(That Luang Lake)已经投资3亿美元，预计投资总额将达到50亿美元。塔琅湖的改造刚开始第二阶段；总共有四个阶段，预计于2032年完成。赛亚拉特说，在已经建成的11栋建筑中，有四套共公寓楼正在出售。另外两座大楼——一家酒店和酒店式公寓——正准备开业。

The project is in an economic zone, where foreign investors can buy condominiums. Mr. Saiyalath said he hoped the government would adopt a new law to allow foreigners to own condominiums outside economic zones. In Cambodia, which has such a law, foreign money, especially Chinese, has flooded the property market.

该项目位于一个经济区，外国投资者可以在这里购买公寓。赛亚拉特说，他希望政府能通过一项新法律，允许外国人在经济区以外拥有公寓。在有这样的法律的柬埔寨，外国资金，尤其是中国资金，已经在房地产市场泛滥。



“The fate of the rail connection from Vientiane to Bangkok is uncertain,” Mr. Eyler said, “which means China’s big Belt and Rail push into Southeast Asia could end inside of landlocked Laos.”

“从万象到曼谷的铁路连接的命运尚不确定，”艾勒说，“这意味着中国‘一带一路’向东南亚的大举推进可能会在内陆的老挝境内结束。”