一九五五年至一九五七年中法围绕商务代表问题的外交互动探析

On Sino-French Diplomatic Interactions from 1955 to 1957 Related to the Issue of Business Representatives

1955年起,法国就派驻商务代表问题与中国展开了长达两年的外交试探和磋商。尽管从中国同埃及建交的案例看,中法之间存在着将互设商务代表处作为建交第一步的可能性,但两国最终放弃了这次机会。原因有三:大国关系格局尚未变化;中法政策侧重点不同、差异明显;双方没有就原则性问题达成默契。由此可知,此时中国重建"中间地带"是以亚非国家为主,愿在建交程序上做出让步;但对西方国家尚无明确政策,故而警惕、谨慎地看待对方提出的商务代表问题。这种"区别对待"显然已有"两个中间地带"战略的雏形。

Beginning in 1955, for two years France engaged in diplomatic overtures and negotiations with China focusing on the sending of commercial representatives. Based on the fact that China had established diplomatic relations with Egypt, the establishment of Sino-French business representative offices in the two countries might have represented a first step for China and France also to establish diplomatic relations. But ultimately the two countries abandoned these efforts for three reasons. First, there were no changes in the structure of relations among the great powers. Second, there were major differences in the goals of Chinese and French policy. Third, the two countries could not reach an agreement on the principal issues. Therefore, China rebuilt a ＂middle zone,＂ focusing on establishing diplomatic relations with Asian and African countries and it was willing to make concessions on their behalf. Meanwhile, China did not have a distinctive policy for dealing with the Western countries, so it guardedly and cautiously dealt with the issue of French business representatives. Obviously, such ＂discrimination＂ represented an embryonic form of its ＂two middle zones＂ strategy.