中資24億英鎊入股英國(guó)數(shù)據(jù)公司

Global Switch, the data centre company owned by the billionaire Reuben Brothers, has sold a 49 per cent stake in the business to a consortium of Chinese investors, despite concerns about national security.

億萬(wàn)富翁魯本兄弟(Reuben Brothers)擁有的數(shù)據(jù)中心公司Global Switch已將49%股份出售給由中國(guó)投資者組成的一個(gè)財(cái)團(tuán)，盡管存在國(guó)家安全方面的擔(dān)憂。

The stake has been sold for £2.4bn in cash to a consortium called “Elegant Jubilee”. The figure is in line with reports that the business had been valued at around £5bn. Global Switch has long been linked with a potential float or trade sale. David and Simon Reuben purchased it in 2004 for a reported £585m, but have invested more than £1bn in expanding the business.

這筆股份以24億英鎊現(xiàn)金出售給一個(gè)名為“Elegant Jubilee”的財(cái)團(tuán)。這個(gè)數(shù)字與這塊業(yè)務(wù)估值達(dá)到約50億英鎊的相關(guān)報(bào)道吻合。Global Switch一直被人與潛在的上市或業(yè)內(nèi)出售聯(lián)系在一起。戴維•魯本(David Reuben)和西蒙•魯本(Simon Reuben)在2004年據(jù)報(bào)道以5.85億英鎊買下該公司，但自那以來(lái)已投資逾10億英鎊擴(kuò)大業(yè)務(wù)。

Li Qiang, a major shareholder in Chinese data centre company Daily-Tech Beijing, pulled together the consortium. The largest investor comes from outside the technology sector in the form of Jiangsu Sha Steel Group, the largest private steelmaker in China.

中國(guó)數(shù)據(jù)中心公司北京德利迅達(dá)(Daily-Tech Beijing)的大股東李強(qiáng)牽頭組建了這個(gè)財(cái)團(tuán)。最大投資者是科技行業(yè)以外的江蘇沙鋼集團(tuán)(Jiangsu Sha Steel Group)，這是中國(guó)最大的民營(yíng)鋼鐵企業(yè)。

Global Switch tried to quash any suggestion of security issues resulting from the sale to Chinese backers by stressing that its data centres would continue to comply with the UK Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, as part of the government’s national security strategy. It has argued it is more like a real estate business and does not have access to the servers installed at its locations.

Global Switch強(qiáng)調(diào)其數(shù)據(jù)中心將繼續(xù)遵從英國(guó)國(guó)家基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施保護(hù)中心(Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, CPNI)的要求，作為英國(guó)政府國(guó)家安全戰(zhàn)略的一部分，從而試圖打消向中國(guó)支持者出售股份所引發(fā)的安全擔(dān)憂。該公司辯稱，它在更大程度上像是一家房地產(chǎn)企業(yè)，對(duì)于安裝在其場(chǎng)地的服務(wù)器并無(wú)訪問(wèn)權(quán)。

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former MP who previously ran the government’s intelligence and security committee, said in September that intelligence agencies should be consulted about a Global Switch sale to determine whether an intervention was necessary on security grounds.

曾經(jīng)執(zhí)掌英國(guó)政府情報(bào)和安全委員會(huì)的前議員馬爾科姆•里夫金德爵士(Sir Malcolm Rifkind)今年9月表示，對(duì)于出售Global Switch股份的交易，應(yīng)該征求情報(bào)機(jī)構(gòu)的意見，以確定是否需要基于安全理由進(jìn)行干預(yù)。

It is the second British data centre company to be tapped by international investors in the past 18 months after Equinix of the US paid £2.35bn to buy Telecity.

這是過(guò)去18個(gè)月里海外投資者投資的第二家英國(guó)數(shù)據(jù)中心公司，此前美國(guó)Equinix斥資23.5億英鎊收購(gòu)Telecity。

The investment in Global Switch also comes just weeks after Chinese regulators increased scrutiny on outbound investment.

中資對(duì)Global Switch出手僅幾周前，中國(guó)監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)對(duì)本國(guó)企業(yè)境外投資加強(qiáng)了審查。

The central government has encouraged groups in good financial health to buy overseas technology that complements their businesses at home. However, China’s foreign exchange regulator also plans to crack down on investments used to move cash offshore, as the country’s economy slows and its currency depreciates against the dollar.

中國(guó)中央政府鼓勵(lì)財(cái)務(wù)健康狀況良好的企業(yè)集團(tuán)收購(gòu)對(duì)其本土業(yè)務(wù)構(gòu)成補(bǔ)充的海外技術(shù)。然而，隨著中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)放緩和人民幣兌美元貶值，中國(guó)外匯監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)也計(jì)劃打擊旨在向境外轉(zhuǎn)移資金的投資。

Companies and private equity funds in China invested about $146bn overseas during the first 10 months of the year, surpassing the amount invested during the whole of 2015.

今年頭10個(gè)月，中國(guó)企業(yè)和私募股權(quán)基金在境外投資約1460億美元，超過(guò)2015年全年的投資額。

The consortium investing in Global Switch brings together a diverse range of interests — from Jiangsu Sha Steel, which has made its first appearance on the global stage through its investment, to mPing An, one of China’s largest financial conglomerates.

投資Global Switch的財(cái)團(tuán)聚集了各類企業(yè)——從通過(guò)其投資首次登上全球舞臺(tái)的江蘇沙鋼，到中國(guó)最大金融集團(tuán)之一平安(Ping An)。

The consortium resembles several deals proposed this year in which a strategic buyer, sometimes contributing little equity to the deal, is backed by a wide range of financial investors.

這個(gè)財(cái)團(tuán)類似于今年提出的好幾筆交易，這些交易都有一個(gè)戰(zhàn)略買家(有時(shí)僅貢獻(xiàn)少量股權(quán))，另有一批金融投資者作為后臺(tái)。

In July, German lighting manufacturer Osram agreed to sell its lamps business to a first-time overseas Chinese buyer called MLS. The €400m deal was backed by IDG Capital Partners and Yiwu State-Owned Assets Operation Center.

7月，德國(guó)照明設(shè)備制造商歐司朗(Osram)同意將其燈具業(yè)務(wù)出售給首次從事境外收購(gòu)的中資買家木林森(MLS)。這筆4億歐元的交易得到IDG Capital Partners和義烏市國(guó)有資產(chǎn)運(yùn)營(yíng)中心支持。