China will today formally announce its largest investment in South Africa for two years, entrenching its position as the resource-rich continent’s most important economic and commercial partner.

　　中国将于今日正式宣布两年来对南非的最大规模投资，巩固其作为这个资源丰富大陆最重要经济和商业合作伙伴的地位。

　　The China Africa Development Fund and the Jidong Development Group will help build a new cement plant worth at least R1.5bn ($200m), the Financial Times has learned.

　　英国《金融时报》获悉，中非发展基金(China Africa Development Fund)和冀东发展集团(Jidong Development Group)将帮助南非建造一个至少价值15亿兰特（合2亿美元）的水泥厂。

　　The announcement lays the ground for the planned August visit to Beijing by Jacob Zuma, South African president, who has made deepening economic and political ties with China a key foreign policy priority.

　　这一宣布将为南非总统雅各布•祖马(Jacob Zuma)8月访问北京提供铺垫。祖马已经把加深与中国的经济和政治联系作为一项关键的外交政策要务。

　　China emerged as South Africa’s largest trading partner last year, partly due to a large rise in iron ore exports, mirroring a trend in other countries on the continent, which have been courted by Beijing for their resources and growing markets.

　　中国去年成为南非最大的贸易伙伴，一定程度上归因于南非对华的铁矿石出口大幅增长，这与非洲大陆其它国家的趋势相符。由于资源丰富和市场日益增长，中国一直在向非洲示好。

　　The latest agreement will see the two Chinese entities partnering Continental Cement, a local enterprise, and Women Investment Portfolio Holdings, a South African company dedicated to empowering black women. They will build the new plant in Gauteng province, outside Johannesburg.

　　根据最新协议，两家中国机构将与南非当地企业大陆水泥(Continental Cement)和“妇女投资组合控股”(Women Investment Portfolio Holdings)的合作，在约翰内斯堡周边的豪登(Gauteng)地区建造新工厂。“妇女投资组合控股”是南非一家致力于赋权黑人妇女的企业。

　　The new plant is aimed at making up a recent shortfall of domestic building products, such as cement, much of it caused by the huge infrastructure programme from construction for the football World Cup.

　　新工厂旨在生产南非国内最近短缺的水泥等建材，短缺在很大程度上是由世界杯足球赛的庞大基建工程引起的。

　　Congested roads and railways make it relatively costly for South Africa to import cement, so investment in local production facilities is more attractive.

　　南非公路和铁路运力紧张，使得进口水泥相对成本高昂，因此在当地投资建厂更具吸引力。

　　Growing economic ties with China and other big emerging markets have paved the way for closer political ties, especially since Mr Zuma took from the sceptical former president Thabo Mbeki last May.

　　南非与中国以及其它大型新兴市场的经济联系不断发展，这为加强双方的政治联系铺平了道路，尤其是自祖马去年5月接替持怀疑态度的塔博•姆贝基(Thabo Mbeki)担任总统以来。

　　A $5.5bn investment by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in South Africa’s Standard Bank agreed in October 2007 remains by far the largest Chinese investment in Africa to date, accounting for about a quarter of the funds Beijing dedicated to the continent.

　　2007年10月达成的中国工商银行(ICBC)对南非标准银行(Standard Bank)投资55亿美元的协议，迄今仍是中国在非洲的最大规模投资——大约占到中国投资非洲资金的四分之一。

　　Much of that investment has concentrated on roads, power plants and other infrastructure, but analysts say a growing number of Chinese companies are beginning to buy building and other materials locally. They are also eyeing Africa’s fast-growing consumer markets.

　　大部分投资集中于公路、电厂和其它基础设施，但分析师表示，越来越多的中国公司开始在当地购买建筑和其它原材料。它们也在关注非洲快速发展的消费市场。

　　For example, FAW, a Chinese carmaker, last month announced a $100m investment in South Africa. “Chinese companies are coming to the party,” said Martyn Davies, of Frontier Advisory Services, a Johannesburg-based consultancy.

　　例如，中国汽车制造商一汽(FAW)上月宣布在南非投资1亿美元。约翰内斯堡咨询公司Frontier Advisory Services的马丁•戴维斯(Martyn Davies)表示：“中国公司来参加派对了。”

　　Mr Davies predicted the China African Development Fund will probably fund much of this investment. CADF, which eventually expects to have $5bn available, established a South African office last March. “They have a lot more deals in the pipeline,” he said.

　　戴维斯预计，中非发展基金将为此次投资提供大部分资金。预计该基金最终会拥有50亿美元投资资金。去年3月，中非发展基金在南非开设了一家办公室。戴维斯表示：“它们有更多的协议正在商谈之中。”