摘要
进入90年代以来,尽管中美关系处于低潮,在曲折中前进,但中美经济贸易的合作与发展却十分迅速。中美经贸合作一年一个台阶按照中国海关的统计,1990年双边贸易额为117.7亿美元,1997年增长到490亿美元,翻了两番多。按照美国海关统计,1990美中贸易额为200亿美元,1997年增长到753亿美元,也翻了近两番。按照中方统计,从1979年美国就超过前西德成为中国第三大贸易伙伴,1996年超过香港成为中国第二大贸易伙伴。按照美方统计,1980年中国仅为美国第24位贸易伙伴,1990年成为美国第10位贸易伙伴。
The United States is China's largest trading partner(when taking into account of transfer trade via Hong Kong),according to statistics from the U.S.The U.S.market is China's largest overseas market.In 1997, exports from China to the U.S.reached US$62.5 billion,accounting for 34.21 percent of China's total exports that year.It was 7.12 percent of the imports in the U.S.of 1997,which stood at US$877.3 billion. Statistics offered by both the U.S.and the Chinese sides agree that between 1990 and 1996,exports from the U.S.to China had an annual increase of more than 16 percent,much higher than the one of U.S. exports. From 1980 to June 1998,the U.S.had economic presence in 25,515 projects,with a contractual U.S.investment of US$43.317 billion and actual investment of US$19.267 billion.These projects are located in more than 20 provinces,municipalities and autonomous regions,and covers a wide- ranging sectors such as machinery,metallurgy, petroleum,electronics,telecommunications, chemical industry,textile,automobiles,light industry,foodstuff,agriculture, pharmaceuticals,hotel and real estate. The trade and economic relations between China and the U.S.has never developed smoothly.Frictions and disputes are common occurrence in this relationship because of the differences between two countries in social systems,ideologies,concepts of value and traditions,and especially the deterioration of the bilateral relations and the political obstacles set by the conservative,pro-Taiwan elements in and outside the U.S.Congress. These frictions and disputes include:1)The most-favor-nation issue.2)The issue of China's resumption of its GATT contracting status and accession into the World Trade Organization.The U.S.is the strongest opposing force on this matter.3)The issue of trade sanctions on China.Since the summer of 1989,the U.S.has adopted discriminatory export control policy. The second Clinton Administration has, for many times,expressed the willingness to improve its China relations.It has taken some measures to relax the export control, which have proven effective.From 1996 to 2000,China expects to have US$1,000 billion worth imports.As long as the Clinton Administration overcomes non- economic interference by fullyterminate the out-dated sanction and relax to a large extent its control on exports to China,large and medium-sized businesses of the U.S.are able to control more share in the fast growing market of China.Their financial,technology resources and management expertise is able to combine with China's enormous market; the combination is greatly beneficial to the economic growth of the two countries.
