Corporate Japan appears to be shedding its long-held suspicion of Chinese investors after a big jump in the value of acquisitions in Japan by mainland companies this year.

　　随着今年中国内地企业在日本收购交易总额大幅提升，日本企业界似乎正逐渐消除长期以来对中国投资者的疑心。

　　Last week’s agreement by Panasonic to sell the white goods division of its Sanyo subsidiary to Haier, the Chinese refrigerator and washing machine company, put the value of inbound Chinese investment at $575.5m to the end of July, according to Dealogic, more than four times the total for last year.

　　上周，松下(Panasonic)与中国冰箱和洗衣机厂商海尔(Haier)达成协议，将子公司三洋(Sanyo)的白色家电业务出售给海尔。根据Dealogic的数据，由此，中国截止7月底的对日投资总额达到5.755亿美元，为去年全年的4倍以上。

　　Japanese executives have tended to view ambitious, cash-rich Chinese companies as a threat, liable to pillage struggling Japanese groups for technology and other assets and accelerate Japan’s relative economic decline.

　　日本企业高管一直将野心勃勃、财力雄厚的中国企业视作威胁，觉得它们希望从困境中的日本企业抢夺技术及其它资产，加速日本相对的经济衰退。

　　Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of Japan’s Keidanren business lobby, said that any buying spree by Chinese groups “may cause sudden unrest or fear in the mind of the public”.

　　日本商业游说组织经团联(Keidanren)的会长米仓弘昌(Hiromasa Yonekura)表示，中国企业的任何收购狂潮都“可能引发公众的突然不安或担忧”。

　　But at least some Japanese companies are starting to see Chinese expansion in a new way – as an opportunity to unload unwanted legacy businesses and accelerate restructuring.

　　但至少有一些日本企业正开始以一种全新眼光看待中国企业的扩展——将其视为剥离不需要的传统业务、加速企业重组的一个机会。

　　Panasonic bought Sanyo in 2009 for its advanced “green” businesses, such as rechargeable batteries and solar cells, and saw little value in its relatively low-end fridges and washers.

　　松下2009年收购三洋，当时看中的是后者可充电电池和太阳能电池等先进的“绿色”业务，认为其相对低端的冰箱和洗衣机业务并没有什么价值。

　　Its deal with Haier followed an agreement early this year between Lenovo and NEC to create a joint venture in personal computers, under which Lenovo has the option eventually to take over NEC’s entire PC business.

　　而今年早些时候，联想(Lenovo)与日本NEC达成了一项协议，合资组建一家个人电脑公司。根据该协议，联想有权最终接手NEC全部个人电脑业务。  

　　Other recent deals have targeted everything from solar panels to clothing and golf clubs.  

　　近来中日企业间其它交易的覆盖面包罗万象，从太阳能电池板、到服装和高尔夫俱乐部等。

　　The sums involved remain modest and a fully fledged opening by Japan to Chinese investment will take time. Japanese companies are notoriously slow to sell underperforming assets – “especially to Chinese groups”, says one Tokyo-based banker.

　　但这些交易所涉金额仍不算高，日本完全对中国投资开放仍有待时日。东京一名银行家表示，日本企业出售不良资产的动作之缓慢是出了名的——“尤其是对中国企业”。

　　Still, the case for more deals looks strong, particularly in electronics – an industry where Japanese groups are looking to become leaner and more focused, while their Chinese counterparts are seeking global know-how and trusted brands.

　　尽管如此，两国达成更多交易的理由看起来十分充分，尤其是在电子领域——日本电子企业正设法变得更高效精干、发展更有重点，而中国企业则在寻求全球技术和可信赖的品牌。

　　Winning over picky Japanese consumers is seen by many Chinese companies as a key step in conquering high-end, mature markets. Just as appealing is the international sales networks built up over decades by the Japanese. Sanyo, for instance, enjoys a higher market share for its white goods in the fast-growing economies of south-east Asia than it does in Japan.

　　赢得挑剔的日本消费者，被不少中国企业视为攻克高端成熟市场的关键一步。日本企业在过去几十年建立的全球销售网络也同样诱人。例如，三洋的白色家电在经济快速增长的东南亚占据的市场份额，要高于在日本本土的份额。

　　Despite warnings by the business lobby, the Japanese public seems to be taking the rise in Chinese acquisitions in its stride. Internet reaction to the Sanyo-Haier deal focused on whether Haier would get Sanyo’s popular Gopan bread maker, which makes bread out of rice. The deal does not include it.

　　尽管游说团体不断发出警告，但日本公众对于中国收购交易不断增多的反应似乎很平静。网络上对于海尔收购三洋协议的反应，主要集中在海尔是否会获得三洋热卖的Gopan面包机——这种面包机可以用大米直接制作面包。但协议中并未包括该品牌。