有利难图:跨国企业在俄乌冲突中的“选边站”

Challenging Interests:Multi-national Companies Takes Sides in the Conflict between Russia and Ukraine

传统观点认为,大国间“选边站”的行为主体主要为主权国家,但近年来,伴随大国战略竞争的持续演化,特别是俄乌冲突的爆发,跨国企业在大国间“选边站”现象日趋增多,已成当前国际关系研究中的关键性话题,需引起我们的足够重视。文章基于对相关文献的梳理,对跨国企业“选边站”的概念进行了初步界定,并尝试搭建具有一定现实解释力的跨国企业“选边站”理论分析框架,认为跨国企业“选边站”是大国战略竞争背景下,跨国企业在一系列内外因素作用下背离正常经营轨道,以撤出市场、生产转移等方式被迫介入大国战略博弈的一种国际政治经济新现象,大国的外部压力是其出现的主要诱因。为了验证这一框架,文章对俄乌冲突中跨国企业在美俄之间“选边站”的整体态势、成因进行了分析,并以美国科氏工业为对象进行了案例分析。同时,文章也对中国跨国企业和中国政府的应对策略给出了思路建议。

According traditional points of view,state actors are the typical unit of analysis when considering the phenomenon of“taking sides”vis-à-vis great powers.While so,in recent years the nature of great power strategic competition has continued to evolve,and especially with the outbreak of conflict between Russia and Ukraine,Multi-national companies are increasingly“taking sides”between great powers.While this is already a key topic for international relations research,it presently requires more significant attention.Based on a review of the existing literature,this article attempts a preliminary conceptual framing of the phenomenon of MNCs“taking sides.”It further attempts to provide a compelling theoretical framework for explaining the practice of “side taking”on the part of MNCs.The article asserts that “side taking”on the part of MNCs occurs against the backdrop of great-power competition,which in turn causes MNCs to break with their typical decision-making logic vis-à-vis a range of internal and external considerations.Under such circumstances,MNCs are forced to get directly involved in great power competition by taking steps to exit markets or shift production.The primary driver of this type of international political economic response is pressure from great powers.In order to demonstrate the utility of this framework,the article analyzes the “sidetaking”behavior on the part of MNCs vis-à-vis the Russia-Ukraine War and relevant underlying drivers.In doing so,it considers the case of the U.S.Company,Koch Industries.At the same time,the article also considers the implications for the policy responses of Chinese MNCs and the Chinese government.