中国最大的保险公司中国人寿(China Life Insurance)的董事长杨超昨日表示，该公司计划收购欧洲或北美一家大型保险公司的战略性股权，目前正在与几个对象进行谈判。

China Life Insurance, the country’s largest insurer, plans to buy a strategic stake in a large insurance company in Europe or North America and is talking to several acquisition targets, its chairman said yesterday.

杨超目前还兼任中国人寿旗下在香港、纽约及上海上市的子公司的董事长。他表示：“我们现在只是在谈判，一切都还没有得到（政府）批准。”

“We are just talking for now, nothing has yet been approved [by the government],” said Yang Chao, who is chairman of China Life Group as well as its Hong Kong, New York and Shanghai-listed subsidiary.

但他表示，中国政府支持大型国有保险公司投资海外资产。

But he said the government supports large state-owned insurers investing in overseas assets.

外界认为，最有可能吸引中国保险公司注意力的企业，是英国第二大寿险公司保诚保险(Prudential)，该公司已经在中国乃至亚洲其它地方建立了强大市场地位。

The company seen as most likely to attract attention from Chinese insurers is Prudential, the UK’s second-largest life assurer, which has built a powerful position in China and across the broader Asian region.

正在亚洲发展业务的英国保险公司英杰华(Aviva)，也可以为中国投资者提供通向英国、欧洲大陆和美国的桥梁。其他潜在目标包括法国保险集团安盛(Axa)和荷兰国际集团(ING)。

The UK’s Aviva, which is building up its business in Asia, would also offer a Chinese investor¹ access to the UK, continental² Europe and the US. Other potential targets include Axa and ING.

中国政府一直在鼓励其庞大的国有银行向海外发展，入股成熟的国际金融机构。中国还建立了一只规模2000亿美元的主权财富基金。但到目前为止，中国尚未批准一家大型保险公司在国外扩张。

Beijing has been encouraging its giant state-owned banks to expand beyond the country’s borders by buying stakes in established financial institutions. It has also established a $200bn sovereign wealth fund. But it has yet to allow its insurance giants to expand abroad.

许多国际保险公司都对中国人寿的战略入股感兴趣，因为这样可以建立长期的合作关系，让它们获得进入繁荣的中国市场的通道。

Many international insurers are interested in selling strategic stakes to China Life because it would establish a long-term partnership³ and give them access to the booming Chinese market.

杨超拒绝透露潜在收购目标的具体名字，但他表示，西方的信贷危机让金融机构变得相对廉价，为中国人寿提供了一个买入时机。

Mr Yang declined to name potential targets but said the western credit crisis presented a buying opportunity for his company because it had made financial institutions relatively⁴ cheap.

相比之下，即便过去一个月经历了20%的回调，包括中国人寿在内的中国内地上市公司的股价，仍明显高于在成熟市场上市的同行。

In contrast, even after a 20 per cent correction over the past month, Chinese listed companies, including China Life, are still trading at hefty premiums⁵ to their counterparts in more mature markets.

杨超表示，中国人寿也有意作为金融投资者，买进海外公司的少数股权。 Mr Yang said China Life was also interested in buying minority stakes in overseas companies as a financial investor.