贊中國批美國，美著名環(huán)保組織遭共和黨議員質疑

HONG KONG — Two House Republicans have questioned a prominent American environmental group, contending that by praising China’s efforts to reduce pollution while criticizing American shortcomings it could be working as an agent of Chinese influence.

香港——兩位共和黨眾議員對一個著名的美國環(huán)保組織發(fā)起了質疑，認為它贊揚中國在減少污染方面的努力，同時批評美國的缺點，因而可能成為中國影響的代理人。

A June 5 letter from two leading Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources to the nonprofit environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, requested documents on its relationship with the Chinese government and answers to questions on whether it should register as a foreign agent.

兩位眾議院自然資源委員會(House Committee on Natural Resources)的共和黨領袖于6月5日致信自然資源保護協(xié)會(Natural Resources Defense Council，下稱NRDC)，要求該非盈利環(huán)保組織提供有關其與中國政府關系的文件，并回答關于是否應當注冊為外國代理機構的問題。

The N.R.D.C., which was founded in 1970 and now has about 2.4 million members, has fought efforts to scale back environmental protections in the United States, suing the Trump administration about once every 10 days, according to N.R.D.C. officials. The group has also worked for years in China to improve the country’s air quality and reduce carbon emissions.

NRDC成立于1970年，現(xiàn)在擁有約240萬名成員，該組織官員稱，他們一直在努力與美國縮減環(huán)境保護措施的行為做斗爭，大約每10天就要對特朗普政府提起一項訴訟。該組織在中國工作多年，努力改善該國的空氣質量并減少碳排放。

The letter, from Rob Bishop, a Utah Republican and chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, and Bruce Westerman, an Arkansas Republican and chairman of the panel’s subcommittee on oversight and investigations, suggested the difference between the group’s aggressive stance in the United States and a more moderate tone in China meant it was serving Beijing’s interests. The letter was addressed to Rhea Suh, the N.R.D.C.’s president.

這封信來自猶他州共和黨人、眾議院自然資源委員會主席羅布·畢肖普(Rob Bishop)和阿肯色州共和黨人、該委員會下屬監(jiān)督和調(diào)查小組委員會主席布魯斯·韋斯特曼(Bruce Westerman)，信中聲稱，該組織在美國采取強硬姿態(tài)，而在中國使用更溫和的語氣，這意味著它在為北京的利益服務。這封信是寄給NRDC總裁雷婭·蘇(Rhea Suh)的。

“The committee is concerned about the N.R.D.C.’s role in aiding China’s perception management efforts with respect to pollution control and its international standing on environmental issues in ways that may be detrimental to the United States,” the letter said.

信中寫道：“在中國污染控制及其環(huán)保方面的國際形象管理上，NRDC所提供的協(xié)助令委員會感到擔憂，認為其方式可能對美國不利。”

At a time when foreign influence in American politics, particularly from Russia, is a subject of widespread national debate, the lawmakers’ attack on the N.R.D.C. could expose the group to criticism for differences in its approaches to working in China and the United States.

如今，外國勢力對美國政治的影響已成為全國廣泛討論的話題，特別是來自俄羅斯的影響，立法者們在這個時候對NRDC的攻擊，可能令該團體因在兩國的工作方式差異而受到批評。

China is the world’s biggest source of carbon emissions and its air quality problems are well known, making cleanup efforts there a key goal for international environmental groups. Universities, energy and technology companies and state and local governments have all sought to work with China on curbing pollution.

中國是世界上最大的碳排放源，空氣質量問題亦是眾所周知，因此中國的環(huán)境清理工作是各國際環(huán)保組織的重要目標。各種大學、能源和科技公司乃至州和地方政府都試圖與中國合作遏制污染。

But China’s authoritarian government is sensitive to criticism and has barred foreigners who have been vocal in exposing shortcomings. Groups that operate in the country and want to influence Chinese policy often have to tread carefully and refrain from the full-throated critiques more common in the United States.

但是中國的威權政府對批評非常敏感，會將那些發(fā)聲暴露中國缺點的外國人拒之門外。在該國運作并希望影響中國政策的團體通常必須謹慎行事，避免做出在美國更常見的高聲批評。

The letter said that the N.R.D.C. appears to “practice self-censorship, issue selection bias, and generally refrains from criticizing Chinese officials.”

信中說，NRDC似乎“實行自我審查，發(fā)布選擇性偏見，并且通常避免批評中國官員。”

“The N.R.D.C.’s relationship with China has many of the criteria identified by U.S. intelligence agencies and law enforcement as putting an entity at risk of being influenced or coerced by foreign interests,” the letter added.

信中還說：“NRDC與中國的關系，在很多方面符合美國情報機構和執(zhí)法部門制定的‘可能受外國利益影響或脅迫的實體’標準。”

It said the N.R.D.C. had sued the United States Navy over sonar testing and its potential harm to marine life, but had not raised similar criticisms with the Chinese military. The environmental group has never condemned China’s extensive work building artificial islands in the South China Sea and praised reforms to its domestic fisheries months after a 2016 Greenpeace study that said Chinese commercial fishing was a threat to fish stocks around the world, the congressmen wrote.

它說，NRDC曾就聲納測試及其對海洋生物的潛在危害向美國海軍提起訴訟，但沒有對中國軍方提出類似批評。兩位國會議員寫道，該環(huán)保組織從未譴責中國在南海建造人工島嶼的大量工作，并且稱贊中國漁業(yè)的改革——就在幾個月前，綠色和平組織(Greenpeace)剛剛發(fā)布2016年度報告，稱中國商業(yè)捕魚對全球魚類資源構成威脅。

The Republican lawmakers’ letter faced criticism that they were ignoring the difficulties of working in China. Some said their effort echoed Senator Joseph McCarthy’s red-baiting in the 1950s, and was a ploy to undermine legitimate criticism of American environmental policy.

兩位共和黨立法者的信件遭到批評，認為他們無視在中國工作的困難。一些人說，他們的做法與1950年代的參議員約瑟夫·麥卡錫(Joseph McCarthy)生拉硬扯的反共姿態(tài)頗為相似，而且是一種破壞對美國環(huán)境政策合法批評的策略。

“As a former senior attorney working in this program, I can tell you that this is patently ridiculous,” Alex Wang, an assistant law professor at U.C.L.A. who was formerly an N.R.D.C. senior attorney in Beijing, wrote on Twitter. “N.R.D.C. has been trying to hold a Republican administration accountable for weakening environmental measures.”

“作為這個項目的前高級律師，我可以告訴你這顯然是荒謬的，”加州大學洛杉磯分校的法律副教授王立德(Alex Wang)在Twitter上寫道，他曾任NRDC駐北京高級律師。“NRDC一直努力在環(huán)保措施被削弱一事上向這屆共和黨政府問責。”

Bob Deans, the environmental group’s director of strategic engagement, said its work to protect the environment was a promotion of American goals and values.

該環(huán)保組織的戰(zhàn)略接觸總監(jiān)鮑勃·迪恩斯(Bob Deans)表示，NRDC保護環(huán)境的工作是對美國目標與價值觀的促進。

“As the most populous country on Earth, China has much to do with the kind of world the next generation will inherit, in our country and around the world,” he said in a statement. “We’re proud of our work, in China and elsewhere, helping to create a more sustainable future for everyone.”

“作為地球上人口最多的國家，中國同下一代將要繼承的這個世界有很大關系，對于我們的國家和全世界來說都是如此，”他在一份聲明中表示。“我們的工作是在中國和其他地方提供幫助，為所有人創(chuàng)造更加可持續(xù)的未來，我們?yōu)榇烁械阶院馈?rdquo;

N.R.D.C. officials “look forward to discussing that work with Chairman Bishop and the committee,” he added, referring to the Utah lawmaker.

NRDC官員“期待與畢肖普主席和委員會討論這項工作，”畢肖普指那位猶他州議員。