#1: 作者: 胡思, 時間: 2024-12-04 21:26

一邊是政府無能，一邊是無能政府，總之倒霉的都是老百姓

#2: 作者: 胡思, 時間: 2024-12-04 21:27

華爾街長文：

請中文全面介紹一下這篇文章：


Pakistan’s Reliance on Chinese-Built Power Plants Is Strangling Its Economy
Pakistan turned to Beijing to solve a crippling energy shortage. Now, crushed under debt and sky-high energy prices, its economy is diving.

By
Saeed Shah
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Dec. 3, 2024 at 7:01 am ET





Pakistan can now supply more than enough electricity—but few can afford it. PHOTO: EPA
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—When Muhammad Imtiaz received an electricity bill of over $120 last summer, he panicked. The bill, for June and July, was all he earns in a month of ferrying passengers on his motorbike in the scrappy suburbs outside Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
In his two-room home, where he lives with his wife and four children, he only has a fridge and lights. He runs two fans in the summer months when heat can exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
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“Should I give my rent, pay the electricity bill, or buy food for my children?” said Imtiaz, who has racked up $3,000 in debt. His family has one meal a day: watered-down lentils with flatbread.
A decade ago, Pakistan, cripplingly short of power, turned to Beijing to build more than a dozen coal, solar and hydroelectric power plants as part of China’s huge infrastructure push in the country.
Now a series of policy mistakes by Islamabad means that Pakistan has enough electricity and more—but, due to the huge debt owed to China, few can afford it.

Pakistan’s power-plant agreement with China was part of $25 billion in infrastructure deals signed a decade ago. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
The crisis is overwhelming Pakistan’s fragile economy, throwing millions of households into misery, shredding government finances and shutting down industry.
The growing emergency is straining Pakistan’s relationship with China—one of its closest allies, with deep military ties and a common rival in India.
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Pakistan is one of the most prominent examples of China’s goal of courting the developing world in order to challenge the U.S., which is also a long-term ally of Islamabad. But the power crisis shows how easy money from China can overwhelm the poor countries that receive it.
Pakistan was a cornerstone of China’s enormous Belt and Road infrastructure program, which sought to bind countries closer to Beijing through trade. The power-plant agreement was part of $25 billion in deals Pakistan signed a decade ago with China to build everything from roads to a giant port. The projects aimed to establish a trade corridor between the two countries and help the Pakistani economy to take off.
But to secure the power plants, Pakistan guaranteed Chinese state companies annual dollar returns of up to 34%. Pakistan has to pay China for the generation capacity installed, whether or not the power is used.
Pakistan’s power woes didn’t begin with the Chinese involvement. A World Bank push to bring in the private sector in the 1990s first built high costs into the system by encouraging the country to switch from mostly hydroelectric power to plants running on imported fossil fuels, which are much quicker to build.
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But it was Pakistan’s decision to have so many new power stations built by China, at once, that sent bills and debt payments rocketing.

Workers at the Chinese-built Sahiwal coal power plant in Pakistan.PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
Under the deal, China built and financed the plants, but Pakistan pledged to repay the cost—along with a rich premium on top—by buying the electricity produced by them for as long as 40 years. Worse still, Pakistan promised to repay the cost over just 10 years, meaning it had to charge sky-high prices for the electricity.
The deal was also financed in dollars. Soon after the Chinese plants started coming on stream in late 2017, Pakistan’s currency devalued by about half, sending the dollar-denominated debt soaring.
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Pakistan commissioned the Chinese power plants in 2015, yet it didn’t carry out an assessment of electricity demand until 2021. There was no competitive bidding to secure the lowest price for the power stations.
“The bad planning all added up,” said Awais Leghari, Pakistan’s energy minister. “The financial impact has almost made us go into a tailspin situation…We’re still trying to stabilize the situation.”
Ahsan Iqbal, the planning minister, who served in the same position when the power stations were commissioned, said that only China was willing to invest at the time, given the risk associated with Pakistan. He said that Islamabad assumed Pakistan would grow at 6%. Instead, the economy contracted last year, before growing at 2.4% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
“There was a new regime, and the economy collapsed,” said Iqbal.
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At present, demand is only around 40% of the annual generation capacity, said Leghari, the energy minister. But Pakistan must pay for the full capacity, whether or not it is used. And that capacity is due to increase by another third in the next decade, as yet more power plants come online.
Those deals mean that in Pakistan, some of the world’s poorest people are being billed more than what households in far richer countries pay for the same amount of electricity.
Consuming 320 kilowatt-hours of electricity in a month in the eastern city of Lahore—enough to power a couple of fans, a handful of lights and a small fridge—costs a household $60, even at the discounted rate charged to low-volume consumers. Pakistan’s per capita income is $125 a month.

Posters showing Chinese and Pakistani leaders were installed for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Islamabad, Pakistan, in October. PHOTO: SOHAIL SHAHZAD/SHUTTERSTOCK
The unaffordable price of power is dramatically reducing demand, as a wave of homes and businesses turn to rooftop solar panels, rein in consumption, or just steal the power, pushing prices higher still for remaining paying consumers. In August, electricity demand was down 17% compared with the same month last year.
“We’ve never seen a utility death spiral before,” said Jenny Chase, a solar analyst at BloombergNEF, which researches renewable energy.
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Pakistan is in arrears to Chinese companies with more than $1 billion worth of unpaid power bills, as well as some $15 billion in debt for the building of the Belt and Road power plants, with a further $9 billion for two Chinese-built nuclear plants. According to a tally by researchers at William & Mary, Pakistan has received $70 billion financing from China since 2000, making it the third biggest recipient.
Islamabad is now urgently seeking to renegotiate the terms of long-term contracts it drew up with both private domestic operators and the Chinese power plants. The aim is to cut bills by up to a fifth.
But providing debt relief in Pakistan could lead other nations that owe Beijing to seek similar concessions.
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China’s Foreign Ministry said that its power infrastructure in Pakistan “adheres to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and follows market laws and business rules.”
With Pakistan dependent on bailouts from the IMF, Islamabad finds itself caught between the U.S., which wants to ensure that the Washington-based lender’s loans aren’t being used to pay off Beijing, and China, which fears that the global financial architecture is being turned against it. The most recent IMF bailouts have required hefty increases in electricity rates, leading tariffs to triple or even quadruple for many users compared with six years ago.
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Islamabad has proposed a three-year moratorium on debt payments to China, followed by a five-year extension to loans’ maturity. Pakistan is also asking China to convert two big power plants it built from running on imported coal to the lower-quality and cheaper domestic coal. China hasn’t responded publicly to the proposals.
Pakistani officials say the talks have been delayed by continued attacks on Chinese personnel in the country. Islamic jihadists and separatists in Pakistan have attacked Chinese workers whom they see as closely allied to the Islamabad government.
Five Chinese construction workers at a hydropower project were killed in a bombing in March, and a suicide bombing killed two Chinese men employed at a power plant in Karachi in October. Beijing is now pushing to have its own security personnel on the ground in Pakistan.
In unusual language for a Chinese diplomat speaking about an ally, Jiang Zaidong, the ambassador in Islamabad, in October called the attacks “unacceptable.”
“Without a safe and sound environment, nothing can be achieved,” Jiang said.

A man received treatment this past summer for heat-related sickness in Karachi, Pakistan, where high energy prices have made it more expensive to stay cool. PHOTO: SHAHZAIB AKBER/SHUTTERSTOCK

#3: 作者: 胡思, 時間: 2024-12-04 21:28

中文梗概：

這篇文章詳細探討了巴基斯坦因依賴中國建設的電力項目而陷入的經濟困境。以下是文章的全面概述：

背景

巴基斯坦曾經面臨嚴重的電力短缺問題。在十年前，為了解決這一危機，巴基斯坦與中國簽署了價值約250億美元的基礎設施建設協議，其中包括建設十多座由中國資助的燃煤、太陽能和水電站。這些項目是中國“一帶一路”倡議的一部分，旨在通過貿易和基礎設施將巴基斯坦與中國更緊密地聯系在一起。然而，這些項目非但未能促進巴基斯坦經濟發展，反而使其陷入深重債務和高昂電價的困境。

當前危機

	•	電力供應過剩但價格高昂
	•	巴基斯坦如今擁有足夠甚至過剩的電力供應，但由於需要償還巨額債務，電價高得離譜。
	•	許多家庭和企業無力支付電費，導致電力需求減少、電費收入下降，形成了一個“公用事業死亡螺旋”（utility death spiral）。
	•	債務壓力巨大
	•	巴基斯坦欠中國超過150億美元的電力項目債務，以及約90億美元的核電站建設債務。
	•	電價高昂的部分原因在於巴基斯坦與中國簽訂的不平等合同：
	•	中國企業享有高達34%的年度美元回報率。
	•	巴基斯坦需要支付電站的全部發電容量費用，無論電力是否被使用。
	•	貸款以美元計價，而巴基斯坦貨幣在項目完成後大幅貶值，導致償債成本飆升。
	•	政策失誤和計劃不足
	•	電站建設之前，巴基斯坦並未進行全面的電力需求評估。
	•	沒有通過競爭性招標來選擇最低成本的電站建設方案。
	•	項目融資安排要求在10年內償還成本，進一步加劇了償債負擔。

社會和經濟影響

	1.	居民生活的巨大壓力
	•	普通家庭的電費支出占到了收入的很大比例，許多人因此陷入債務。
	•	例如，一名居住在伊斯蘭堡郊區的摩托車司機，每月收入僅約120美元，但夏季電費高達120美元，他的家庭一天只能吃一頓飯。
	2.	工業衰退
	•	高電價迫使許多企業減少用電或轉向自發電，甚至關閉。
	•	結果，經濟增速遠低於預期，從最初假設的6%降至最近的2.4%。
	3.	對中巴關系的影響
	•	作為巴基斯坦的傳統盟友，中國在項目中扮演了主要投資者的角色，但如今因債務和電價問題，雙方關系變得緊張。
	•	巴基斯坦希望與中國重新談判貸款條件，例如：
	•	將貸款償還期限延長5年。
	•	暫緩三年債務償還。
	•	將部分燃煤電站改為使用成本較低的本地煤。
	•	中國尚未公開回應這些請求。
	4.	安全問題加劇
	•	針對中國工人的恐怖襲擊頻發，包括3月炸死5名中國建築工人、10月自殺式襲擊致兩名中國雇員身亡。
	•	中國要求派遣自己的安保人員駐扎巴基斯坦，這標志著兩國關系中的不信任正在上升。

未來挑戰

	•	國際關系的復雜性
	•	巴基斯坦依賴國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）的救助，但IMF要求巴基斯坦提高電價以穩定財政。
	•	美國擔心IMF的貸款可能被用來償還中國債務，而中國則批評國際金融體系偏向西方。
	•	能源政策的重新定位
	•	巴基斯坦正嘗試通過推動屋頂太陽能項目等方式降低成本。
	•	然而，電力需求的下降和電費收入的減少使電力部門陷入惡性循環。
	•	潛在的全球影響
	•	如果中國對巴基斯坦提供債務減免，可能會引發其他“一帶一路”國家提出類似要求，對中國的經濟和外交政策形成挑戰。

總結

這篇文章揭示了巴基斯坦經濟如何因過度依賴中國的能源投資而陷入困境，凸顯了“一帶一路”倡議可能對發展中國家造成的經濟壓力。盡管這些項目旨在促進巴基斯坦經濟騰飛，但由於不平等合同、政策失誤和全球經濟變化，結果適得其反。巴基斯坦目前的首要任務是重新談判債務條件，同時尋找可持續的能源和經濟發展策略。

#4: 作者: Erica111, 時間: 2026-4-07 04:54

Interesting point about the topic. Many platforms and communities are now focusing more on visual content to keep users engaged for longer periods.

In today’s digital world, integrating high-quality digital signage can greatly enhance how information is delivered in public spaces, events, or business environments. Arista Vision offers reliable and modern digital signage solutions that make content display dynamic, clear, and impactful.

#5: 作者: Buswell牙牙, 時間: 2026-4-07 07:30

這樣牙這樣牙

#6: 作者: 平行空間, 時間: 2026-4-07 08:01

電氣化是國家現代化的重要一步，發展中國家必須經歷的一步。

#7: 作者: 平行空間, 時間: 2026-4-07 08:02

必須經歷的陣痛，不經風雨不見彩虹。

#8: 作者: 平行空間, 時間: 2026-4-07 08:03

如果規劃合理，加上運氣，可以比較容易過關。

#9: 作者: 平行空間, 時間: 2026-4-07 08:04

電力過剩是暫時表象。兩大能耗方向可以幫助解決或者緩解問題 。

#10: 作者: 平行空間, 時間: 2026-4-07 08:05

平行空間 寫道:

電力過剩是暫時表象。兩大能耗方向可以幫助解決或者緩解問題 。

一個是電動汽車。