中国和印度关于西藏币制改革的交涉及影响(1959—1962)

Negotiations between China and India on Currency Reform in Tibet and Their Impact(1959—1962)

中国政府在解放军进藏前后,考虑到西藏特殊的政治经济状况,决定在藏区继续流通藏钞、藏币、银元和印度卢比。在1959年西藏平叛和民主改革之前,中印两国在藏印贸易以及货币流通上的矛盾,尚未影响到中印关系和藏印经济关系的主要方面。作为平叛后中央在西藏实行民主改革的一项重要工作是在藏区进行币制改革,收兑藏钞、藏币,禁止外币主要是印度卢比的流通,禁止金银出境。这一举措对藏印贸易产生了直接的影响,成为西藏平叛后中印外交斗争的一个主要内容。中印两国就有关习惯贸易问题、兑换时间和兑换率以及银元外流等问题进行的交涉,对中印关系的发展产生了重大影响。通过币制改革,藏印贸易的传统模式基本宣告结束。更为重要的是,中国通过币制改革,以及迫使印度撤销其驻藏商务代表处,达到了清除印度在西藏的政治和经济影响的目的。

In view of the special political and economic situation in Tibet the Chinese central authorities decided around the time when the People＇ s Liberation Army marched into Tibet to allow the Tibetan currency, Tibetan coins, silver dollars and Indian rupees to continue to be in circulation. Before the suppression of the rebellion in 1959 and the democratic reform, the contradictions between China and India with regard to the trade between Ti- bet and India and the currency circulation did not affect the main aspects of the Sino-Indian relations and the eco- nomic relations between Tibet and India. An important task of the democratic reform in Tibet after the suppression of the rebellion was to carry out the currency reform in Tibetan areas, buy and change Tibetan notes and coins, prohibit circulation of foreign currencies, mainly Indian rupees, and prevent outflow of gold and silver. These measures had a direct impact on Indo-Tibetan trade and became a focus of the Sino-Indian diplomatic struggle fol- lowing the suppression of the rebellion. The two countries held long-lasting negotiations on customary trade, time limitations for changing Tibetan notes and coins, exchange rate as well as silver dollar outflows, which greatly af- fected the development of bilateral relations. The currency reform put an end to the traditional model of Tibetan-In- dian trade. More importantly, through the currency reform and forcing India to withdraw its trade representative＇ s office from Tibet, China achieved its goal to remove the political and economic influence of India in Tibet.