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High-tech collaboration between leading UK universities and China’s aerospace sector is under scrutiny as US authorities investigate links between Beijing’s top military aircraft manufacturer and Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
英国一流大学与中国航空业在高科技领域的合作正受到审查，此际美国当局正调查中国最大军机制造商与伊朗弹道导弹计划之间的联系。
Beijing Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology Research Institute, a subsidiary of Chinese state aerospace group Avic, was placed on a watch list by the US Department of Commerce last year because of alleged dealings with companies owned by Li Fangwei, also known as Karl Lee, a Chinese national wanted by the US for selling missile technology to Tehran.
去年，国有的中国航空工业集团(Avic)下属的北京航空制造工程研究所(Bamtri，以下简称：中航工业制造所)被美国商务部列入一个观察名单，因涉嫌与中国公民李方伟（另一个名字为卡尔•李(Karl Lee)）所有的公司做交易，李方伟因涉嫌向伊朗出售导弹技术被美国通缉。
Imperial College, London and Birmingham University are among a number of western organisations and companies that have signed research agreements with Avic and Bamtri, covering a variety of aerospace technologies, mainly the development of lighter, stronger materials. Birmingham’s research programme, undertaken in partnership with western aerospace companies such as Airbus and EADS, ended before Bamtri’s inclusion on the US watchlist.
伦敦帝国理工学院(Imperial College)和伯明翰大学(Birmingham University)是很多与中国航空工业集团和中航工业制造所签署研究协议的西方机构和公司中的两家，协议内容涵盖多种航空技术，主要是更轻更结实材料的开发。伯明翰大学的研究计划与空客(Airbus)和欧洲宇航防务集团(EADS)等西方航空公司合作进行，在中航工业制造所被纳入美国观察名单之前，该计划就结束了。
The questions over Bamtri underline the potential pitfalls of the UK government’s rapid expansion of trade and investment with China, which has recently invested in sensitive British industries such as nuclear power and telecoms. They also highlight the difficulty in carrying out due diligence given the opaque nature of many of the companies concerned.
围绕中航工业制造所的问题突显出英国政府与中国迅速扩大贸易投资合作的潜在陷阱，中国最近投资了英国的一些敏感行业，例如核电和电信。这些问题还突显出，鉴于很多涉事公司的不透明特点，很难展开尽职调查。
Imperial confirmed it was collaborating with Bamtri on two research centres that opened in 2012. Its website says the project, with funding of £2.5m, is aimed at “forming lighter and stronger aircraft components” along with advanced computer modelling to improve manufacturing processes.
帝国理工学院证实，正与中航工业制造所在2012年设立的两个研究中心展开合作。这所大学的网站称，该项目拥有250万英镑资金，旨在“制造更轻更结实的飞机部件”以及改善制造流程的高级电脑模拟技术。
Asked about the programme’s future given Bamtri’s inclusion on the US watch list, the university said the collaboration “supports fundamental, non-classified research into new materials and manufacturing methods which could help develop lighter, safer and more efficient commercial aircraft”.
鉴于中航工业制造所被纳入美国观察名单，在被问及有关合作计划的未来时，帝国理工学院表示，这次合作“支持针对新材料和制造方法的基础混合性研究，可能有助于开发更轻、更安全且更高效的商业飞机”。
While there is no evidence technology supplied by either university reached Iran or that they supplied militarily sensitive items or know-how, a study by Project Alpha, a research institute at King College London specialising in proliferation matters, says there are few practical ways to prevent such leakage.
目前没有证据表明，这两所大学中的任何一所提供的技术被出售给了伊朗，或者它们提供过军事敏感材料或技术，但专注于核扩散问题的伦敦国王学院(King College London)研究所Project Alpha的一项研究称，几乎没有切实的方法阻止技术泄露。
Bamtri was founded in 1957 and according to its website was cleared for highly secret weapons development in 2011. Bamtri and Avic declined interview requests and did not respond to faxed questions.
根据网站介绍，中航工业制造所创建于1957年，2011年，获得机密武器开发资格。中国航空工业集团和中航工业制造所均拒绝了采访要求，也没有对传真问题做出回应。
In 2006, according to a 2009 US State Department cable published by WikiLeaks, US officials said they suspected Bamtri’s export unit of involvement in attempts by Pakistan to obtain precision machinery for its Shaheen missile project.
根据维基解密(WikiLeaks)2009年公布的一份美国国务院电报，美国官员曾在2006年表示，他们怀疑中航工业制造所的出口部门参与了巴基斯坦试图为其沙欣(Shaheen)导弹计划取得精密设备的计划。
US and UK experts have in the past criticised China for lax enforcement of non-proliferation sanctions against Iran, a signatory of several UN arms control treaties but not the Missile Technology Control Regime, signed by 34 western countries.
过去，美国和英国专家一直批评中国在对伊朗不扩散制裁的问题上执行不力，伊朗是联合国(UN)几个武器控制条约的缔约国，但不是导弹技术控制制度(Missile Technology Control Regime)的签字国，后者由34个西方国家签署。
The US did not give a detailed explanation for why Bamtri was among nine entities placed on the commerce department’s Entity List in April 2014, according to a US statement, “for their roles in supplying Iran’s ballistic missile programme through the Chinese proliferator Li Fangwei”.
美国没有就中航工业制造所为何会在2014年4月被列入美国商务部实体管制名单(Entity List)作出详细解释，根据美国的一份声明，被列入名单的“原因是曾通过中国扩散人李方伟向伊朗弹道导弹计划供应过武器”。
Mr Li operates from Dalian, near the North Korean border. Last year, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation put out a reward of $5m for information leading to his arrest but he appears able to conduct normal business in China.
李方伟目前在大连工作。去年，美国联邦调查局(FBI)曾悬赏500万美元缉拿他，但他似乎仍能在中国正常开展业务。
Asked about Mr Li’s alleged trading with Iran, Chinese officials respond that they are only able to enforce the law — and many of the companies and front companies linked to Mr Li have not violated Chinese export controls.
在被问及李方伟涉嫌与伊朗交易时，中国官员回答，他们只能按法律办事，与李方伟有关的很多公司和挂名公司都没有违反中国出口管制规定。
A string of front companies linked to Mr Li has supplied items to Iran such as fibre-optic gyroscopes, guidance systems and hard to obtain alloys, according to a US indictment against Mr Li from 2009. Iran is believed to be manufacturing many items for its ballistic missile programme domestically but experts say foreign help is critical to the effort.
根据美国2009年对李方伟提起的指控，与他有关的一系列挂名公司一直向伊朗供应光纤陀螺仪、导航系统以及很难获得的合金。据悉，伊朗正在为其弹道导弹计划在国内生产很多部件，但专家们表示，外国的帮助至关重要。
Mr Li was last interviewed in 2013 by Reuters, when he said he had long since ceased to engage in trade with Iran.
李方伟上次接受路透(Reuters)采访是在2013年，他当时表示，很久之前就不再与伊朗做交易了。
