Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
10:58 Jul 31, 2011
Chinese to English translations [PRO] Bus/Financial - Finance (general)
Explanation: Seriously. Platform makes no sense in many many cases where Chinese uses 平台. 平台 is a horribly vague concept, and platform is nothing of the sort.
In this case, the obvious answer for this context is "vehicle" (see linked Google search).
But there are others: The Economist offers "entities" and "corporations"
"...the practice of local governments extending guarantees on loans taken out by their special financing entities."
"...investment corporations set up by local governments..."
(see linked Economist story)
The NYT offers "companies"
"...local governments had created 10,000 investment companies..." http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/business/global/28iht-yuan...
In fact, this story is notable because it gives a quote in which a government official uses the word "platform", but the NYT declines to use that word in its own text. Why? Because it makes no sense in English.
So you can take your pick. But please, anything but platform.
This doesn't matter "making sense in English or not". It is a term used officially with Chinese characteristics. With much this said, it is what I'd go with.
“就用“platform”放心用吧！
local government financing platform
New: Bank: Local government financing platform for credit risk ...
2011年7月11日 ... People's Bank of China spokesman on local government issues related to loans
financing platform to answer questions from reporters. ...
0249.blogspot.com/2011/.../bank-local-government-financing.html - 网页快照 - 类似结果New: Bank: Local government financing platform for credit risk control
2011年7月12日 ... PRC People's Bank of China spokesman said recently, it was speculated that the
local government financing platform for loans 14 trillion ...
4970.blogspot.com/2011/.../bank-local-government-financing.html - 网页快照 - 类似结果China to standardize local government financing platform to ward ...
China to standardize local government”
Certainly the classic form is a company. Like the Baidu Baike page explains, the local govt establishes a company and transfers government assets to it so that it can attract bank financing.
While you're right that "investment vehicle" as a standalone term means basically the same as "investment instrument", many uses of "vehicle" imply some kind of organisation. (See for example, SIV and PIV, both of which involve the existence of a separate company.) Basically, vehicle is a fairly flexible term - it's a metaphor, after all, much as 平台 is.
I like "vehicle" for this term precisely because it has that flexibility. I believe that some forms of local government finance captured by the term 融资平台 involved structures other than the classic company-bank finance (e.g. the credit may have come in some cases from credit unions rather than banks; there may even be other sources). "Vehicle" allows you to retain that ambiguity. But I don't think anyone would be confused if you used other terms. This whole 融资平台 issue has been bubbling for a couple of years now, and anyone who follows Chinese news will probably have heard of it.
Sorry, but I do not think that politely questioning if there was a misunderstanding (and explaining why) and telling you honestly about my opinion (that it was a funny proposition to me) is a psychological problem. Yes, this is getting off-topic and, in my opinion, should not be discussed publicly (esp when it involves the character of certain individual). I have sent you a message through the site, but I am not sure if it has gone through. That's it to my public participation for this question.
In addition, if I think that 'platform' is appropriate in this context, I would not have removed my answer, would I? So, this is, in my opinion, a funny proposition to make.
Sorry, but it seems that there is a misunderstanding? When have I insisted on the relevance of 'investment platform' for this question??? I have said I agree with you, after checking the meaning of this Chinese source term in question, that it is a vehicle. I have simply commented under your (Phil Hand's) answer that investment platform is not a nonexistent term in English. It is indeed a term used to refer to investment systems or system platforms. I am fully aware of all the implications you've cited. Thank you.
P.S. Sorry, it's going to take me too long to compose my response in Chinese, and I am not going to waste time on this, so ...
Sharon 和 Chef 要坚持investment platform 这一说，但是它压根不适用于眼前的问题。搜索investment platform并且加引号，有50多万的结果而已，不算多，而且全部都是理财公司理财产品的宣传网站。这个概念与中国当地政府专门为了落实融资而设立的公司从性质上就不一样。
中文的“平台”是翻译的现实问题。有时候它是系统的意思；或是制度/体系；或是功能；或是环境；等等，都有可能。偶尔一次可以用英文的platform来对应，但英文platform的含义狭窄多了，一般是一个统一的固定的但包括一定的自由选择范围的系统。
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
2 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +3
anything but platform
Explanation: Seriously. Platform makes no sense in many many cases where Chinese uses 平台. 平台 is a horribly vague concept, and platform is nothing of the sort.
In this case, the obvious answer for this context is "vehicle" (see linked Google search).
But there are others: The Economist offers "entities" and "corporations"
"...the practice of local governments extending guarantees on loans taken out by their special financing entities."
"...investment corporations set up by local governments..."
(see linked Economist story)
The NYT offers "companies"
"...local governments had created 10,000 investment companies..." http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/business/global/28iht-yuan...
In fact, this story is notable because it gives a quote in which a government official uses the word "platform", but the NYT declines to use that word in its own text. Why? Because it makes no sense in English.
So you can take your pick. But please, anything but platform.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +3
