二，密西西比州钢铁厂的拥有者对其接受中国第四大钢铁企 业投资一事进行了辩护。上周，一群美国国会议员要求对这一交易进行调查。
50名美国国会钢铁行业议员小组(Congressional Steel Caucus)成员上周五致函美国财政部长盖特纳(Timothy Geithner)，敦促美国海外投资委员会(Committee on Foreign Investment)全面调查中国鞍钢集团与Steel Development Co.合资建厂的计划。这些议员称担心会危及国家安全。美国国会钢铁联线是美国钢铁行业的支持者。
周二，私人持股的Steel Development公司称这些担忧“毫无根据”。公司在电子邮件声明中称，鞍钢集团的投资不到拟建的密西西比州钢铁厂总投资额的20%。
公 司发言人在电子邮件中称，鉴于存在关于公司控股权的“毫无根据”担忧，我们在此确认，鞍钢集团的投资不到Steel Development总投资额的20%。
今年5月，鞍钢集团说计划投资这家钢铁厂以作为其海外扩张及直接在美国市场销售产品的战略的一 部分。
Steel Development公司发言人说，某些国会议员及其它钢铁制造商试图阻止Steel Development建造一家世界上技术最先进的钢铁厂，此乃妨碍竞争之举。尽管受到广泛的政治压力，我们仍将继续集中力量为美国本土创造就业岗位。
周 一，鞍钢集团试图淡化国会议员信件的影响，集团总经理秘书Li Jiangyu说，我们正在研究情况并考虑应对措施。国会议员信件可能加剧中美之间的贸易紧张关系。
与 此同时，中国外交部发言人说，中国鼓励国内企业向海外扩展，同时希望中美合作以相互开放为基础，并希望拟赴美国投资的中国企业能获得公平待遇。
周 二，美国财政部(U.S. Treasury)拒绝置评。由财政部主持的美国海外投资委员会负责审查外国对美国公司的投资或运营对美国国家安全的影响，并能建议美国总统阻止交易。
Steel Development公司说，由于在为工厂进行最后融资的过程中接受了鞍钢的投资，它已成为众矢之的。它说，这家钢铁厂将创造1,200个建筑工作及 100个永久性职位。这家钢铁厂计划于今年投产。
Steel Development公司发言人说，Steel Development公司预计年产钢筋350,000吨，与1.2亿吨的美国钢铁市场相比，还不到千分之三。称鞍钢投资会危及国家安全，这种担心着实难 以成为一个合理的借口。
A Mississippi steel-plant owner that accepted an investment from China's fourth-largest steelmaker defended the investment Tuesday after a group of U.S. lawmakers called last week for an investigation of the deal.
In a letter dated Friday, 50 members of the Congressional Steel Caucus, supporters of the U.S. steel industry, wrote U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urging that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. 'thoroughly investigate' the proposed joint venture between China's Anshan Iron & Steel Group Corp. and Steel Development Co. The lawmakers cited national-security concerns.
On Tuesday, privately held Steel Development called those concerns 'unfounded.' The company said in an emailed statement that the contribution by Anshan Iron made up less than a fifth of the investment in its proposed Amory, Miss., steel plant.
'Due to unfounded concern regarding controlling interests in our company, we confirm that Anshan contributed less than 20% of the total investment in Steel Development,' a company spokesperson said in the email.
Anshan Iron, also known as Ansteel and Angang, said in May that it planned to invest in the plant as part of its strategy to expand abroad and to sell products directly in the U.S. market.
'Notwithstanding the extensive political pressure applied by certain members of Congress and other steel producers seeking to impede competition by stopping Steel Development's efforts to build one of the world's most technologically advanced steel mills, we will continue to focus our efforts on creating jobs right here in America,' the Steel Development spokesperson said.
On Monday, Anshan Iron sought to play down the lawmakers' letter, which could fan trade tensions between the U.S. and China. 'We are researching the situation and mulling how to deal with it,' said Li Jiangyu, secretary to the company's president.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it encourages Chinese companies to expand abroad, and hopes cooperation with the U.S. will be based on 'mutual openness' with fair treatment for Chinese firms that plan to invest in the world's largest economy.
The U.S. Treasury, which declined to comment Tuesday, chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which reviews the national-security implications of foreign investments in U.S. companies or operations. The committee can recommend that the U.S. president block a transaction.
Steel Development said it had come under fire for incorporating the investment from Anshan as it seeks to finalize financing for the plant, which it said would create 1,200 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs. The plant is scheduled to begin production this year.
'With Steel Development projecting production of 350,000 tons of rebar per year in a 120-million-ton steel market-less than three tenths of 1%-the promotion of national-security fears due to the Anshan investment is, at best, difficult to rationalize,' the Steel Development spokesperson said.