英国寻求在退欧后加入TPP
英国就加入一个太平洋旗舰贸易集团举行了非正式会谈，这是为了在退欧后迅速启动出口进行的大胆尝试。
The proposal, being developed by Liam Fox’s Department for International Trade, would make the UK the first member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership that does not border the Pacific Ocean or the South China Sea.
利亚姆•福克斯(Liam Fox)所在的英国国际贸易部提出的这一方案，可能将使英国成为首个在太平洋和南中国海都没有边境线的《跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》(Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement，简称TPP)成员。
It would help to reinvigorate TPP, a key initiative of Barack Obama’s administration that appeared fatally wounded when Donald Trump withdrew the US last January.
这将有助于重振TPP。TPP是巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)政府的一项重要举措，而唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)在2017年1月让美国退出TPP，似乎重创了该协定。
The 11 remaining members, including Australia, Japan and Mexico, agreed in November to continue with a successor deal, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
澳大利亚、日本和墨西哥等其余11个成员在2017年11月同意推进一份后续协议，即“跨太平洋伙伴关系全面和进步协议”(Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership，简称CPTPP)。
The UK discussions to join the distant trade group that has lost its biggest member come as Mr Fox embarks on a three-day trip to try and woo Chinese business.
在英国讨论加入一个失去最大成员国美国的遥远的贸易集团之际，福克斯开始了为期3天、试图吸引中国企业的访问之旅。
Greg Hands, a UK trade minister, said there was no geographical restriction on Britain joining TPP. “Nothing is excluded in all of this,” he told the Financial Times. “With these kind of plurilateral relationships, there doesn’t have to be any geographical restriction.”
英国贸易大臣格雷格•汉兹(Greg Hands)表示，英国加入TPP不受地域限制。“在所有这一切中，没有什么被排除在外。”他告诉英国《金融时报》，“在这种多边关系下，并不存在任何地域限制。”
However, UK accession would almost certainly have to wait until TPP itself has been revised, and the UK has agreed its post-Brexit relationship with the EU. 然而，英国几乎必定得等到TPP本身完成协议修订，以及英国与欧盟(EU)就英国退欧后关系达成一致之后才能加入TPP。
Officials from TPP countries say they expect to sign the revised deal early in 2018 but are now trying to resolve some issues raised by Canada. One said it was “way too soon” to discuss UK accession before a Brexit deal.
TPP成员国的官员们表示，他们预计将在2018年初签署修订后的协议，但目前他们正努力解决加拿大提出的一些问题。一名官员表示，在英国达成退欧协议前讨论英国加入TPP“为时太早”。
When the TPP was initially concluded in 2015, it was envisaged as a “platform for regional economic integration” rather than a group that could incorporate European members. However, some TPP countries now welcome the idea of having another G7 economy as a member. British officials have floated the idea in meetings with counterparts from Australia, New Zealand and other TPP countries in recent months.
在2015年初步达成时，TPP被设想为一个“区域经济一体化平台”，而不是一个可能包含欧洲成员国的贸易集团。然而，一些TPP成员国现在乐见另一个七国集团(G7)经济体加入TPP。近几个月，英国官员在与澳大利亚、新西兰和其他TPP成员国的官员会面时提出了这个想法。
Labour criticised the government’s interest in TPP, saying that it should focus closer to home, in particular on Britain’s “key future trading arrangement” with the EU. “Of course [TPP] could be helpful but it is not the main event, and at the moment the government is making a hash of that,” said Barry Gardiner, the shadow trade secretary.
工党批评了英国政府对TPP的兴趣，称英国应该把重点放在离本土更近的地方，尤其是英国与欧盟的“关键的未来贸易安排”。“当然，TPP可能是有帮助的，但这不是主要大事，目前政府把这个问题搞砸了，”影子贸易大臣巴里•加德纳(Barry Gardiner)说。
Legally, the UK cannot sign trade deals before it leaves the EU, scheduled for March 2019. Joining TPP could be a less protracted process than negotiating individual trade deals with the member countries, but the trade department could decide to pursue bilateral deals instead. Much of its work is focused on attracting direct investment to the UK.
从法律上说，英国在预定于2019年3月完成的退欧前无法签署贸易协定。比起与各成员国协商单独的贸易协议，加入TPP的过程可能不那么漫长，但贸易部也可能决定谋求达成双边协议，其大部分工作集中于吸引对英国的直接投资。
TPP would cut tariffs on a range of goods, including agricultural products, and services. It was designed to increase American influence in Asia, but both Mr Trump and his former adversary Hillary Clinton criticised the deal for its potential impact on blue-collar jobs.
TPP将降低一系列商品的关税，包括农产品和服务。TPP的初衷是提高美国在亚洲的影响力，但特朗普和其前对手希拉里•克林顿(Hillary Clinton)都批评该协定对蓝领就业岗位的可能影响。
The UK cabinet has yet to discuss Britain’s potential membership of TPP. Michael Gove, the environment secretary, said in December that Parliament would have an effective veto over any trade deal.
英国内阁还未就英国可能加入TPP一事展开讨论。英国环保大臣迈克尔•戈夫(Michael Gove)在2017年12月表示，议会对任何贸易协定都有有效的否决权。
Additional reporting by George Parker 乔治•帕克(George Parker)补充报道
