泰康人壽成蘇富比第一大股東

A Chinese life assurer headed by a relative of Mao Zedong has become the largest single shareholder in Sotheby’s, taking a 13.5 per cent stake in the auction house.

由毛澤東的一個親屬執掌的一家中國壽險公司已成爲蘇富比(Sotheby’s)的最大單一股東，買下這家拍賣行13.5%的股份。

Taikang Life, one of China’s largest insurance groups with net assets of Rmb33bn ($5bn), revealed yesterday that it had paid $230m for 8m shares in the New York-based auction house. The shares were purchased on the open market during June and July.

中國最大保險集團之一、淨資產達到330億元人民幣（合50億美元）的泰康人壽(Taikang Life)昨日透露，它已斥資2.30億美元購得總部位於紐約的蘇富比800萬股票。這些股票是在6月和7月期間在公開市場上買入的。

Cheng Dongsheng, who founded and runs the life assurer, is a grandson-in-law of Chairman Mao and the largest shareholder of China Guardian Auctions, a leading art auction house.

創立並執掌泰康人壽的陳東昇，是毛澤東的一個外孫女婿。他是領先藝術品拍賣公司——中國嘉德國際拍賣(China Guardian Auctions)的最大股東。

Several world-famous works have been sold to Chinese art buyers recently, the most high-profile of which was the sale of Modigliani’s “Reclining Nude” to Liu Yiqian, a private collector, in November for $170.4m. It was the second-highest price for a work sold at auction to date.

近期有幾幅世界著名的作品被中國藝術品買家買下，其中最引人注目的是去年11月私人收藏家劉益謙以1.704億美元買下莫迪利亞尼(Modigliani)的《斜臥的裸女》(Reclining Nude)。那是史上第二高的藝術作品拍價。

China’s insurers have a similar appetite for overseas acquisitions. Anbang Insurance became a global name in 2014 with the $2bn purchase of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. In March its $14bn bid for Starwood Hotels & Resorts stalled following speculation about regulatory challenges.

中國的保險公司對海外收購有類似的胃口。安邦保險(Anbang Insurance) 2014年揚名全球，當時該公司斥資20億美元收購紐約華爾道夫酒店(Waldorf Astoria hotel)。今年3月，安邦以140億美元收購喜達屋酒店及度假村(Starwood Hotels & Resorts)的交易陷入停頓，此前有猜測認爲，這筆交易將遭遇監管挑戰。

Between January and June Chinese companies agreed to $121.1bn in cross-border deals, according to data from Thomson Reuters, more than the record for a full year set in 2015.

湯森路透(Thomson Reuters)的數據顯示，今年1至6月，中資企業達成了1211億美元跨境交易，超過2015年創下的全年紀錄。

Taikang said a “positive view” of Sotheby’s business was the primary reason for the purchase in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It had “provided suggestions” for board nominations at the auction house, it said, noting that “such nomination could include persons associated with [Taikang Life]”.

泰康人壽在提交美國證交會(SEC)的監管申報文件中表示，對蘇富比業務的“積極看法”是購買其股票的首要原因。這家中國壽險公司表示，它已就蘇富比的董事會任命“提供了一些建議”，指出“此類提名可能包括（泰康人壽）相關人士”。

Tad Smith, Sotheby’s president, said the group “warmly welcomed” Taikang’s support of its “strategic initiatives”.

蘇富比總裁塔德•史密斯(Tad Smith)表示，該集團“熱烈歡迎”泰康人壽支持其“戰略舉措”。

Mr Chen’s fame comes not just from Taikang and his wife’s ancestry, but also from his prominence as an art dealer and aesthete.

陳東昇的名氣不僅來自泰康人壽和太太的血統，也來自他作爲藝術品經銷商和審美者的名聲。

In 1999 he founded the first government-run auction house to specialise in Chinese art and antiques.

1993年，他創辦了第一家官辦拍賣行，專門經手中國文物藝術品。

Sales of Chinese ceramics and paintings have buoyed Sotheby’s revenues in Asia. Last week the auction house reported 22 per cent year-on-year growth to $461.5m for the region during the first six months of the year.

中國陶瓷和繪畫的銷售提振了蘇富比的亞洲營收。上週這家拍賣行報告，今年上半年亞洲營收同比增長22%，至4.615億美元。