Chinese Company Seeks to Buy MoneyGram
螞蟻金服意圖收購速匯金公司
The Chinese company Ant Financial is intensifying efforts to buy the American company MoneyGram International.
中國螞蟻金服公司正在加緊收購美國的速匯金國際(MoneyGram International)公司。
MoneyGram is the world's second-largest money transfer company. Western Union is the largest.
速匯金是全球第二大匯款公司,西聯(lián)是行業(yè)老大。
Ant Financial has been linked in media reports to the Chinese company Alibaba. Ant Financial has offered to pay $1.2 billion more for the company than Euronet Worldwide, a company making a competing offer. Euronet is based in the United States.
媒體報道稱螞蟻金服同中國阿里巴巴公司存在關聯(lián)。螞蟻金服對速匯金出資12億美元,超過了競購對手嘉銀通(Euronet Worldwide)的報價。嘉銀通總部設在美國。
MoneyGram has a network of 350,000 places where people can send and receive money. These include stores, post offices and banks in 200 countries.
速匯金有35萬個網點可供人們收發(fā)資金,其中包括分布在200個國家的零售店、郵局和銀行。
Ant Financial's business is now mostly in the Chinese currency, the yuan. If it is able to buy MoneyGram, Ant Financial would be able to use American dollars and control accounts that are used to hold and manage the company's money.
螞蟻金服目前的主要業(yè)務為人民幣。如果能夠收購速匯金,螞蟻金服將能夠使用美元并控制那些用于持有和管理該公司資金的賬戶。
After Euronet offered to buy MoneyGram in March, Ant Financial increased its offer by 36 percent. This decision confirmed that it was determined to buy MoneyGram and begin competing with Western Union.
在嘉銀通3月份提出收購速匯金之后,螞蟻金服將其報價提高了36%。這個決定證實了該公司決意收購速匯金并同西聯(lián)展開競爭。
However, Euronet has not stopped efforts to buy MoneyGram. It is warning that if Ant Financial is able to buy the company it will have a huge amount of information about the company's customers. Euronet says this is a security risk.
然而,嘉銀通并未停止收購速匯金的努力。該公司警告說,如果螞蟻金服得以收購速匯金,那么它將能獲得大量該公司客戶的信息。嘉銀通稱這是一個安全隱患。
If Ant Financial's offer is accepted, the deal must still gain the approval of the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS. Some experts believe this would be the first test for a Chinese financial company seeking to do business in the U.S.
如果螞蟻金服的報價被接受,該交易仍然必須得到美國外國投資委員會(CFIUS)的批準。有專家認為,這將是尋求在美國開展業(yè)務的中國金融公司面臨的首項考驗。
Jeffrey Towson is a professor of investments at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management.
杰弗里·托森(Jeffrey Towson)是北京大學光華管理學院的投資學教授。
He told VOA that "getting approval from CFIUS might be more difficult this year. Plus, Chinese acquisitions are more on the media radar than before. And finally, there is also a competing bidder, Euronet, and they will probably push for a regulatory denial based on security concerns."
他對美國之音表示,“今年要獲得美國外國投資委員會的批準可能會更加困難。另外,中國的收購比以往更受媒體關注。最后,還有嘉銀通這個競爭對手,他們可能會推動監(jiān)管機構基于安全考慮予以否決。”
Concerns raised on acquisition of MoneyGram
收購速匯金引發(fā)關注
Kevin Yoder of Kansas and Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas are members of the U.S. House of Representatives. They have written to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about the possible purchase of MoneyGram by Ant Financial.
堪薩斯州的凱文·尤德(Kevin Yoder)和德克薩斯州的埃迪·伯尼斯·約翰遜(Eddie Bernice Johnson)是美國眾議院的議員。他們都為螞蟻金服可能收購速匯金致信財政部長史蒂文·努欽(steven mnuchin)。
They wrote, "The proposal merits careful evaluation as it would provide Chinese access to the U.S. financial infrastructure, a move that would pose significant national security risks if completed."
他們寫道,“該動議值得認真評估,因為這將為中國人進入美國金融基礎設施提供入口。如果此舉完成,將會帶來重大的國家安全風險。”
Ant Financial has said that MoneyGram information will be stored in secure computer servers in the United States. And in a letter to people who own shares in the company, Douglas Feagin said MoneyGram will "continue to be headquartered in Dallas and run by its current U.S.-based management team after the deal closes."
螞蟻金服表示,速匯金的信息將存儲在美國安全的計算機服務器之中。道格拉斯·費金(Douglas Feagin)在致信該公司股東的信件中表示,在交易完成之后,速匯金的總部將繼續(xù)設在達拉斯市,并且由該公司目前的美國管理團隊來運營。
He promised that Ant will "continue to invest in MoneyGram's systems and compliance programs."
他承諾螞蟻金服將繼續(xù)投資于速匯金的系統(tǒng)和合規(guī)計劃。
Recent development might help
近期發(fā)展事態(tài)可能有幫助
Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma was among the first to visit Donald Trump after he was elected president. Trump met recently with Chinese president Xi Jinping, and later said he no longer considers China to be a currency manipulator. Some experts believe these developments may help Ant Financial.
阿里巴巴集團董事長馬云在川普當選之后率先拜訪了川普。川普最近會見了中國國家主席習近平,然后表示他不再認為中國是貨幣操作國。有專家認為,這些進展可能對螞蟻金服有幫助。
Peter Fuhrman is the chairman of the company China First Capital. He says although CFIUS has denied "quite a few recent attempted Chinese takeovers, there isn't an obvious national security case here as to why they should stop the transaction."
彼得·富爾曼(Peter Fuhrman)是中國首創(chuàng)投資公司的董事長。他說,雖然美國外國投資委員會“否決了中國近期不少的收購企圖,但是這不是一項他們應該阻止交易的明顯的國家安全案例。”
Jacob Kirkegaard is with the Peterson Institute of International Economics in Washington.
雅各布·柯克加德(Jacob Kirkegaard)就職于華盛頓的彼得森國際經濟研究所。
He says Alibaba knows about internet financial transactions. He added, "I have no doubt that they can execute the deal and ensure integration."
他說,阿里巴巴了解互聯(lián)網金融交易。他補充說,“我確信他們可以執(zhí)行這項交易并確保整合。”
Ant Financial was part of Alibaba, China's biggest online seller, before Alibaba sold ownership shares to the public on the NYSE stock exchange in 2014.
阿里巴巴是中國最大的互聯(lián)網銷售商。在2014年阿里巴巴到紐約證券交易所上市之前,螞蟻金服是阿里巴巴的一部分。
Ant Financial did not answer questions from VOA. Instead, it said VOA should read earlier statements the company has made.
螞蟻金服并未回應美國之音的疑問。相反,該公司表示,美國之音應該看一下該公司此前做出的聲明。
A public relations company working for Ant Financial said the company has no relationship with Alibaba. It refused to make additional comments.
一家服務于螞蟻金服的公關公司表示,該公司同阿里巴巴沒有任何關系,并拒絕再發(fā)表意見。
But several analysts, and most recent media reports, say Ant Financial is linked to Alibaba.
但是一些分析師以及最近多數(shù)媒體報道都稱螞蟻金服同阿里巴巴存在關聯(lián)。
I'm Mario Ritter.
我是馬里奧·利特。
The Chinese company Ant Financial is intensifying efforts to buy the American company MoneyGram International.
MoneyGram is the world’s second-largest money transfer company. Western Union is the largest.
Ant Financial has been linked in media reports to the Chinese company Alibaba. Ant Financial has offered to pay $1.2 billion more for the company than Euronet Worldwide, a company making a competing offer. Euronet is based in the United States.
MoneyGram has a network of 350,000 places where people can send and receive money. These include stores, post offices and banks in 200 countries.
Ant Financial’s business is now mostly in the Chinese currency, the yuan. If it is able to buy MoneyGram, Ant Financial would be able to use American dollars and control accounts that are used to hold and manage the company’s money.
After Euronet offered to buy MoneyGram in March, Ant Financial increased its offer by 36 percent. This decision confirmed that it was determined to buy MoneyGram and begin competing with Western Union.
However, Euronet has not stopped efforts to buy MoneyGram. It is warning that if Ant Financial is able to buy the company it will have a huge amount of information about the company’s customers. Euronet says this is a security risk.
If Ant Financial’s offer is accepted, the deal must still gain the approval of the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS. Some experts believe this would be the first test for a Chinese financial company seeking to do business in the U.S.
Jeffrey Towson is a professor of investments at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management.
He told VOA that “getting approval from CFIUS might be more difficult this year. Plus, Chinese acquisitions are more on the media radar than before. And finally, there is also a competing bidder, Euronet, and they will probably push for a regulatory denial based on security concerns.”
Concerns raised on acquisition of MoneyGram
Kevin Yoder of Kansas and Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas are members of the U.S. House of Representatives. They have written to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about the possible purchase of MoneyGram by Ant Financial.
They wrote, “The proposal merits careful evaluation as it would provide Chinese access to the U.S. financial infrastructure, a move that would pose significant national security risks if completed.”
Ant Financial has said that MoneyGram information will be stored in secure computer servers in the United States. And in a letter to people who own shares in the company, Douglas Feagin said MoneyGram will “continue to be headquartered in Dallas and run by its current U.S.-based management team after the deal closes.”
He promised that Ant will “continue to invest in MoneyGram’s systems and compliance programs.”
Recent development might help
Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma was among the first to visit Donald Trump after he was elected president. Trump met recently with Chinese president Xi Jinping, and later said he no longer considers China to be a currency manipulator. Some experts believe these developments may help Ant Financial.
Peter Fuhrman is the chairman of the company China First Capital. He says although CFIUS has denied “quite a few recent attempted Chinese takeovers, there isn’t an obvious national security case here as to why they should stop the transaction.”
Jacob Kirkegaard is with the Peterson Institute of International Economics in Washington.
He says Alibaba knows about internet financial transactions. He added, “I have no doubt that they can execute the deal and ensure integration.”
Ant Financial was part of Alibaba, China’s biggest online seller, before Alibaba sold ownership shares to the public on the NYSE stock exchange in 2014.
Ant Financial did not answer questions from VOA. Instead, it said VOA should read earlier statements the company has made.
A public relations company working for Ant Financial said the company has no relationship with Alibaba. It refused to make additional comments.
But several analysts, and most recent media reports, say Ant Financial is linked to Alibaba.
I’m Mario Ritter.
______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
currency –n. the money of a country
acquisition –n. things that are bought
merit –n. qualities, things with a value
evaluation –n. a process of judging
infrastructure –n. things needed to carry out business or commerce
manipulator –n. someone who unfairly controls something
transaction –n. a business deal
integration –n. the process of bringing different things togeth