中国中信股份有限公司(Citic Ltd)确认，随着大宗商品价格暴跌，已对其与澳大利亚政客和商人克莱夫•帕尔默(Clive Palmer)的灾难性铁矿石合资企业进行了25亿美元减值拨备，此举迫使帕尔默否认他将要破产。
China’s Citic Ltd has confirmed a $2.5bn writedown at its disastrous iron ore joint venture with Clive Palmer as commodity prices plunge — forcing the Australian politician and businessman to deny he is going broke.
庞大的国有企业中信与帕尔默围绕中澳铁矿(Sino Iron)陷入了一场越来越激烈的纠纷，这个命运多舛的合资项目开发成本超出预算五倍，到头来却迎来铁矿石价格暴跌的窘境。
The sprawling state-owned enterprise and Mr Palmer are embroiled in an increasingly acrimonious dispute over Sino Iron, the ill-fated venture that was already five times over budget before iron ore prices collapsed.
中信指责帕尔默通过他的公司Mineralogy挪用1200万澳元（合950万美元），以资助他的竞选。帕尔默否认这些指控，并称，在中澳铁矿特许权使用费这一块，中信欠他的钱。
Citic has accused Mr Palmer of misusing A$12m ($9.5m) through his company Mineralogy to finance his election campaign. He denies the allegations and claims that Citic owes him royalties related to Sino Iron.
周二，《澳大利亚人报》(The Australian)发表了一篇标题为“铁或破产？克莱夫•帕尔默的财富一天比一天缩水”的报道，称他的财富正受到铁矿石价格暴跌的沉重打击。
On Tuesday The Australian newspaper ran a story under the headline “Iron or bust? Clive Palmer’s fortune shrinks daily”, alleging his wealth was being crushed by the iron ore price crash.
帕尔默对澳大利亚国家电视台表示，此类报道“根本不属实”，随后他在堪培拉说：“我没有任何债务，我拥有数十亿澳元的资产，我是一个快乐的家伙。”
Mr Palmer told Australia’s state broadcaster the reports were “just not true” and said later in Canberra: “I haven’t got any debts, I’ve got billions of dollars of assets and I’m a happy chappy.”
成立于2006年的中澳铁矿，在2013年后期终于开始发运铁矿石。中信周二表示，最新的减值拨备（该公司曾在1月对此发布预警）导致营业利润缩水25亿美元，包括17亿美元的无形资产减值和7.94亿美元的房地产和设备减值。
Sino Iron, set up in 2006, finally began shipping ore late in 2013. Citic on Tuesday said the latest charges, about which it warned in January, involved a $2.5bn hit to operating profits including $1.7bn in intangible value and $794m in the value of property and equipment.
该集团还表示，正对其庞大业务（包括金融服务和一个足球队，加上采矿、房地产、电信等等）展开全面评估。其房地产和自然资源权益将是首批整改对象。
The group also said it was undertaking a “root and branch” review of its sprawling operations, which include financial services and a football team alongside mining, property, telecoms and others. Its property and natural resources interests would be first in line for an overhaul.
中信自认为是中国国企改革的先锋，去年其国有的母公司将370亿美元内地资产注入了境况不佳的香港上市子公司，使后者得以转型。
Citic considers itself in the vanguard of state-owned enterprise reform in China after its SOE parent last year transformed its ailing Hong Kong-listed unit with the injection of $37bn in mainland assets.
中信董事长常振明警告，整合香港和内地业务的努力面临种种挑战。
Chang Zhenming, chairman, warned of the challenges of bringing the Hong Kong and mainland operations of the group together.
他说，任何人都不应假设，仅仅因为中信在合并中国的资产、公司和人员，一切就将是一个快速和容易的过程；香港和北京在某些事情上的做法是不同的。
“No one should assume that just because we are merging Chinese assets, companies and people, it will be a quick and easy process. Hong Kong and Beijing approach certain things differently,” he said.
中信周二报告，对中澳铁矿进行减值拨备后，2014年净利润下降20%，至398亿港元（合51亿美元）。该集团称，得益于中信银行(Citic Bank)的强劲表现，若剔除上述减值影响，则去年利润上升10%。
Citic reported on Tuesday that net profits dropped 20 per cent in 2014 to HK$39.8bn ($5.1bn) as a result of the Sino Iron charges. Without those, profits would have risen 10 per cent led by a strong performance from Citic Bank, the group said.
常振明表示，他希望调整金融和非金融业务的平衡，并提高非金融单位的盈利能力。去年金融部门贡献了40%的营收和高达98%的税前利润。
Mr Chang said he wanted to rebalance financial and non-financial businesses, and to improve the profitability of the non-financial units. The financial division contributed 40 per cent of revenues but 98 per cent of pre-tax profits.