据埃及投资部长介绍，中国最主要的投资开发区之一预计不久将在苏伊士运河南端复制自己的成功开发模式。
One of China's premier investment zones is expected soon to replicate its successful development model near the southern approaches to the Suez canal, according to Egypt's investment minister.
埃及政府正与天津经济技术开发区（TEDA，简称“泰达”）谈判，以求让天津方面帮助建设苏伊士经贸合作区(Suez Economic Zone)。根据埃及法律，泰达可在这个15亿美元的项目中持有至多49%股份。
The Egyptian government is negotiating with the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, which it is courting to help build the Suez Economic Zone. Under Egyptian law, TEDA could take up to a 49 per cent stake in the $1.5bn (€1.1bn, £1bn) project.
“苏伊士经贸合作区将是首个与一家大型投资机构确立合作关系的开发区，”马哈茂德•穆希丁(Mahmoud Mohieldin)在接受采访时告诉英国《金融时报》。“最终谈判有望很快进行。”
“SEZone is going to be the first of its kind linked to a big investor,” Mahmoud Mohieldin told the Financial Times in an interview. “The final negotiations will hopefully be taking place very soon.”
对中方来说，该项目的吸引力部分在于埃及与欧洲、非洲和中东国家签订的大量特惠贸易协定。
The attraction for the Chinese is partly the large number of preferential trade agreements Egypt has with Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
不少中国国有企业在撒哈拉以南非洲和中东寻求自然资源，并提供基础设施投资作为交换，这种模式的榨取性引发了争议。批评人士担心，中国 更关心的是为本国快速增长的经济输送原料，而非促进当地的发展。
The extractive nature of Chinese state companies' involvement in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, where they seek natural resources in return for infrastructure investments, has courted controversy. Critics fear China is more concerned with fuelling its own fast-growing economy than fostering development in the region.
从廉价消费产品到电信设备，中国企业还十分善于在非洲占领各类商品的市场份额。
Chinese companies have also proven adept at seizing market share for everything from cheap consumer goods to telecommunications equipment in Africa.
但苏伊士经贸合作区将以制造业为主，这将大幅降低泰达投资的争议性。在埃及寻求将自己定位成面向欧亚两洲的出口门户之际，泰达在天津取得的成 功，使其成为埃及方面的天然合作伙伴。
Chinese companies have also proven adept at seizing market share for everything from cheap consumer goods to telecommunications equipment in Africa.
“我们并不拥有丰富的自然资源，他们并不是在寻求得到我们的石油或天然气，”穆希丁博士在香港一个投资会议的间隙表示。“制造业比较容易让人接 受，因为每个国家都喜欢看到更多的工厂和更多的工人。”
“We are not rich in natural resources – they are not after our oil or natural gas,” Dr Mohieldin said on the sidelines of an investment conference in Hong Kong. “Manufacturing is an easier sell because every country likes to see more factories and more workers.”
尽管外国对埃及的直接投资去年减少40%，至81亿美元，但中国仍向这个北非国家投入了大量资金，首次成为对埃及投资最多的国家。
While foreign direct investment into Egypt fell 40 per cent last year to $8.1bn, China continued to pour money into the north African country, becoming its largest investor for the first time.
位于北京以东环渤海湾地区的天津经济技术开发区，已得到了多家跨国公司的重大投资，包括阿克苏诺贝尔(Akzo Nobel)、IBM和丰田(Toyota)。穆希丁博士乐观地相信，苏伊士经贸合作区在投入运行后，在头三年将吸引至多35亿美元投资；预计最迟到6月 份，泰达将为这个埃及新开发区建立首个中国营销办事处。
Situated to the east of Beijing on the Bohai Bay, TEDA has secured major investments from multinationals such as Akzo Nobel, IBM and Toyota. Dr Mohieldin is optimistic that SEZone will attract up to $3.5bn in investment over its first three years of operation, with TEDA expected to establish its first China marketing office for the new Egyptian zone by June.
“我们希望（中方）为埃及人创造就业，”埃及通信和信息技术部长塔莱克•卡迈尔(Tarek Kamel)表示。“他们可以利用市场的增长，并得益于这种增长，同时帮助我们推进社会经济发展。”
“We want [the Chinese] to create jobs for Egyptians,” said Tarek Kamel, minister for communications and information technology. “They can use the growth of the market and enjoy the growth but also help us with our social-economic development.”
埃及计划建设一系列由政府主导、旨在吸引制造业投资的开发区，苏伊士经贸合作区是首个这样的开发区。埃及正与新加坡磋商，准备在靠近亚 历山大港(Alexandria)的地中海边开发一个类似项目。新加坡曾在中国和印度建设大型开发区。
SEZone is intended as the first in a series of state-led development zones targeting manufacturing investment. Egypt is in discussions with Singapore, which has built large-scale development zones in China and India, about a similar project on its Mediterranean coast near Alexandria.