????保險業巨頭美國國際集團（AIG）一直與其前亞洲子公司美國友邦保險（AIA）維持著特殊的關系。畢竟，AIG是由富有冒險精神的加利福尼亞人C.V.斯塔爾于1919年在上海創辦的。斯塔爾是亞洲人壽保險業的先驅。AIG在1950年退出中國市場，即毛澤東領導的共產黨建立新中國的一年后。但AIA仍然是一顆皇冠上的明珠，在亞洲一些最奢華的地區持有房地產資產。

????最近，這家亞洲保險公司成為了AIG的救星：在2008年金融危機肆虐之際，美國聯邦儲備委員會（Federal Reserve）向AIG提供了巨額信貸工具，代價是該公司向其提供認股權證。后來，為了向美聯儲償還資金，AIG出售了其在AIA的大部分股權。

????如今，重新煥發生機的AIG可能會尋求與這個昔日的子公司展開競爭。此前，美國政府已經出售了手中所持AIG的全部股權并獲利。2012年11月末，AIG宣布了與中國國有保險公司中國人民財產保險股份有限公司（People's Insurance Co. of China，簡稱：人保財險）達成的一項協議。根據該協議，AIG將向人保財險12月份在香港的首次公開募股（IPO）交易出資約5億美元。中國人保財險的香港IPO籌得31億美元。

????作為協議的一部分，兩家公司預計將成立一家合資企業，專門在中國銷售壽險，而中國市場正是AIA的老地盤。

????不過，這不完全是一場針尖對麥芒的較量：瑞士信貸（Credit Suisse）稱，AIA在中國壽險市場的占有率目前只有1%。中國人壽（China Life）和中國平安（Ping An）共同擁有近50%的市場份額。通過與中國第五大壽險公司、人保財險強強聯合，AIG將有望搶得先機，不過AIA在東南亞大部分地區扮演著行業領袖的角色。（瑞士信貸預計，AIA公司 2012年將實現凈利潤26.5億美元，同比增長66%，受亞洲市場中產階級不斷壯大提振。）

????一些分析師推測，與人保財險聯合可能拉開了AIG眾多未來交易的序幕。大舉進軍亞洲市場將使得AIG有效抵御未來美國本土經濟下滑的風險。

????Insurance giant AIG has always enjoyed a special relationship with AIA, its former Asian subsidiary. After all, AIG was founded in Shanghai in 1919 by C.V. Starr, an adventurous Californian who pioneered life insurance in Asia. AIG (AIG) left China in 1950, one year after Mao's communist takeover, but AIA remained something of a crown jewel, with real estate holdings in some of Asia's toniest districts.

??? More recently, the Asian insurer has been AIG's savior: Amid the 2008 financial meltdown, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank provided AIG with a huge credit facility in exchange for warrants in the company. To help repay the Fed, AIG sold most of its stake in AIA.

??? Today, a reinvigorated AIG -- the U.S. government sold off its entire stake at a profit -- may be looking to compete with its old sibling. In late November, AIG announced an agreement with People's Insurance Co. of China, a state-owned insurer, to invest roughly $500 million in PICC's December public offering in Hong Kong, which raised $3.1 billion.

??? As part of the deal, the two companies are expected to form a joint venture to sell life insurance in China -- AIA's old turf.

??? It won't exactly be a head-to-head contest: AIA now controls just 1% of the Chinese life insurance market, according to Credit Suisse. China Life and Ping An together boast nearly 50% market share. By joining forces with PICC, the country's fifth-largest life insurer, AIG will have a headstart, though AIA is a leading player in much of Southeast Asia. (Credit Suisse expects AIA to generate 2012 net profits of $2.65 billion, up 66% from a year earlier, thanks to a growing middle class in this market.)

??? Some analysts speculate that AIG's deal with PICC is just the first of many. A big move into Asia could provide AIG with, well, insurance against the next downturn stateside.?