自由贸易协定的政治经济学研究述评

The Political Economy of Free Trade Agreements(FTAs)

世界贸易组织主导的全球贸易谈判徘徊不前导致各国纷纷寻求自由贸易协定,这也使得学术界对自由贸易协定的关注有增无减。关于自由贸易协定究竟是全球贸易体系的"垫脚石"还是"绊脚石"的争论并没有确切的答案。区域权力结构在一定程度上会影响自由贸易区的建立,不过,无论区域内是否存在霸权国,制度的理性设计却是一个运行良好的自由贸易区不可缺少的必要条件,而观念认同在推动自由贸易协定的达成上发挥的作用却不易衡量。国家在追求自由贸易协定时主要是出于经济、政治和安全利益的考虑,而当国家"黑箱"被打开的时候,国家的政治制度及国内利益集团则会影响政策制定过程,以及政策的最终结果。

The failure to conclude the Doha Round agreement under the auspices of the World Trade Organization gives rise to the proliferation of free trade agreements(FTAs).The question of whether free trade agreements are'stepping stones'or'stumbling blocks'to a global free trade system remains to be answered.Regional power structures have a bearing upon the establishment of FTAs,but rational institutional designs prove to be a necessary condition for a well-functioning free trade zone.On the other hand,the role played by ideas and identities in the conclusion of FTAs is hard to grasp and measure.The pursuit of FTAs comes out of considerations of economic,political,and security interests.If the state's internal 'black box'is opened up,it will be clear that political institutions and domestic interest groups also affect policy-making processes and policy outcomes.