冷战时期英日通商关系发展的进程及其特质

On Anglo-Japanese Trade Relations,1952-1973

在东西方冷战时期,英日两国各自作为美国的盟国,在欧亚国际政治领域支持美国的遏制战略。1955年,在美国的支持下,日本获得了关税与贸易总协定组织成员国地位,但英国拒绝承诺给予日本最惠国待遇。最惠国待遇问题从此成为直接影响英日通商关系发展的重大因素。1962年末,英日两国政府正式签署通商航海条约,规定互相给予最惠国待遇和国民待遇。然而,日本商品在进入英国市场时受到差别对待的局面没有得到彻底改变,英国商人在进一步开发日本市场方面也面临着来自日本政府的重重阻力,互相清除残存的贸易壁垒成为此后英日贸易谈判的长期议题。在尝试解决这些问题的十余年间,英日经济实力对比发生变化,日本不再轻易对英国做出让步,致使旨在彻底清除双边贸易壁垒的长期自由化计划谈判最终失败,这也从一个侧面反映了战后英日关系发展模式的逆转。

During the Cold War period,Britain and Japan were both allies of the U.S..With the support of the U.S.,Japan formally became the contracting party of GATT in 1955.However,Britain refused to provide Japan with the most-favored-nation treatment.Since then,the MFN problem had become the major factor affecting the development of trade relations between Britain and Japan.At the end of 1962,the two countries signed a commercial treaty,providing MFN and national treatment for each other.However,the discriminatory import restrictions on Japanese goods still remained unresolved,while British businessmen also had to face stiff resistances from the Japanese government when they exploited the Japanese market.Removing each other’s remaining trade barriers had become the main topic in Anglo-Japanese trade talks.During this period,the balance of economic power between Britain and Japan changed rapidly.As a result,Japan grew unwilling to make essential concessions to Britain.Partly due to this,the long negotiation eventually failed,reflecting the reversal of the postwar Anglo-Japanese relationship.