Tim Geithner returns to Washington with enough loot to give Customs officials pause for thought. While his predecessor, Hank Paulson, struggled to wring more than a few half-baked concessions out of China – an investment banking joint venture here, some grudging currency appreciation there – Mr Geithner's visit coincided with a flurry of deals. A Chinese group, little-known but essentially an amalgam of former state-owned enterprises, stepped forward to relieve the bankrupt General Motors, soon to be majority-owned by the US government, of its highly visible and somewhat toxic Hummer brand. Beijing executed the deal perfectly: there is no technology transfer, management and manufacturing will stay in place in the US and 3,000 jobs are saved.
蒂姆·蓋特納(Tim Geithner)返回華盛頓所帶的成果之多，足以讓海關官員躊躇一下。相比前任漢克·保爾森(Hank Paulson)費盡心力從中國爭取到幾個不痛不癢的讓步（這里成立合資投行，那里匯率小幅升值）蓋特納訪華之時，中美間簽訂了一系列協議。一家名氣不大、但實際上由數家國有企業合并而成的中國公司，接手了通用汽車(General Motors)雖然赫赫有名、但多少有毒的悍馬(Hummer)品牌。通用汽車已申請破產保護，大部分股權將由美國政府持有。中國這樁交易干得漂亮：不涉及技術轉讓，管理和制造都留在美國，悍馬在美國的3000個工作職位也得以保住。