It took a decade to negotiate, offers benefits to Australian businesses and is arguably the flagship achievement of prime minister Tony Abbott, but the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement could be derailed by a trade union campaign.
中澳自由商業協議(China-Australia Free Trade Agreement)在會談了10年後殺青，將給澳大利亞企業帶來很多好處，可以說是澳大利亞總理托尼縠伯特(Tony Abbott)的最大造詣，但該協議大概因工會作梗而受阻。
The deal, which was signed in June but requires legislation to be passed in parliament, would cut tariffs and remove other impediments to exports while relaxing rules on Chinese inward investment. It underpins a deepening relationship between Canberra and Beijing, which this year saw Australia join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank against the wishes of its key ally, the US.
該協議簽訂於本年6月，但它須要在議會經由過程、構成立法。它將減少關稅，撤消其他出口停滯，同時將放寬針對中國投資流入的規矩。它有助於推進澳中幹系進一步深化。本年，澳大利亞掉臂癥結友邦美國的否決，參加了亞投行(AIIB)。
“It’s a good deal for Australia and it certainly doesn’t need to be reworked or in any way renegotiated,” said Mr Abbott, the Liberal party premier. “I call on the Labor party to stop playing xenophobic games here.”
“這項協議對澳大利亞異常有益，它確定不須要修訂，或以任何方法從新會談”，自由黨(Liberal Party)總理艾伯特表現。“我號令工黨(Labor party)停滯在這件事上玩排外遊戲。”
But opposition to the deal is causing difficulties in passing legislation in the senate before the end of the year. Trade unions, including the powerful Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, have organised nationwide protests and have financed an advertising blitz against the agreement.
然則，該協議遭受的否決，給歲尾前在商討院經由過程立法造成為了艱苦。包含壯大的修建、林業、采礦和能源工會(CFMEU)在內，各工會構造了天下性抗議，並出資舉行了否決該協議的麋集告白宣揚。
“This clause in the trade deal would lead to an influx of Chinese labour at the expense of local workers,” said Michael O’Connor, CFMEU national secretary. “We favour permanent immigration, rather than temporary migration.”
“商業協議裏的這一條目將致使中國勞工的湧入，傷害本國工人的好處，”修建、叢林、采礦與能源工會的天下總做事邁克爾攠康納(Michael O’Connor)說。“咱們支撐永遠性移民，不支撐暫時遷徙。”
The Labor party, which helped negotiate the agreement while in power between 2007-2013, is supporting the unions. Penny Wong, Labor’s trade spokesman, said the deal failed to ensure that skilled foreign workers were only employed when there were insufficient local labourers.
工黨在2007年至2013年在朝時曾贊助會談該協議，現在卻支撐工會。工黨商業事件談話人黃英賢(Penny Wong)表現，該協議未能包管一個條件前提：那便是惟有在本地工人不敷的情形下，能力雇傭技巧闇練的外國工人。
It also includes a memorandum of understanding on projects worth A$150m ($110m) or more that are funded by Chinese investment, committing Canberra to negotiate special migration arrangements for these projects. Under the current rules, the threshold is A$2bn of project investment.
該協議也包含一項觸及1.5億澳元(合1.1億美元)或金額更高的項目標原諒備忘錄，這些項目由中國投資支撐，請求澳大利亞為這些項目會談特殊的從新安頓支配。按現行規矩，項目投資門坎為20億澳元。
The government said Labor’s concerns were a red herring as adequate safeguards already exist in Australian law. Some experts warn the union’s campaign risks exacerbating an undercurrent of anti-Chinese sentiment in Australia.
澳大利亞當局表現，工黨的所謂擔心不外是要轉移留意力，由於澳大利亞司法已供給了充足保障。一些專家告誡稱，工會構造的否決活動大概加重澳大利亞海內的反華情感暗潮。
“There are clearly some segments of the population that are uncomfortable with Chinese buying property or agricultural land,” said Kerry Brown, director of the Chinese Studies Centre at Sydney University.
“今朝，顯著有部門澳大利亞人對中國人購置房產或農地覺得不安，”悉尼大學(University of Sydney)中國研討中間主任克裏布朗(Kerry Brown)說。
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