新冠肺炎疫情下的中美航权之争:争议与出路

Disputes and Solutions on Air Traffic Rights between China and the US in the Context of COVID⁃19 Pandemic

航空运输是中美经贸活动、文化交流的桥梁和纽带,为中美乃至世界经济的发展做出了重要贡献。航权是开展航空运输的权利基础,是主权的体现和延伸,是基于主权基础上的权利交换。新冠肺炎疫情下确保国家安全是主权国家的首要责任和义务,一国有权对授予他国承运人的航权予以限制。新冠肺炎疫情导致履约的基础完全丧失。中国对美国航权的限制,并未剥夺美国承运人公平竞争的机会。竞争对抗将成为今后一个时期中美关系的主基调,航权必将是中美间持续关注的议题。应高度重视法律在处理对外事务中的作用,积极运用法律维护自身权益。摒弃“内外有别”的管理思路,以“商业行为”为标准,确立“内外一体”的立法理念,重视“公共利益”条款在争议解决中的重要作用,推进我国航空立法的精细化和精准化,为规范中外航空承运人的经营行为和双边航空运输争议提供制度保障。

Air transportation is the bridge of Sino-US economic and trade activities and cultural exchanges.It has made great contributions to the economic development of China,the United States and even the world.Air traffic rights are the right basis of air transportation,the embodiment and extension of state sover⁃eignty,and the right exchange based on sovereignty.It is the primary responsibility and obligation of sover⁃eign states to ensure national security under the COVID⁃19 situation,a state has the right to restrict the traf⁃fic rights granted to carriers of other countries.The basis for implementing the Agreement has not existed for the COVID⁃19 pandemic.The measures taken by China to restrict the air traffic rights of the U.S.carriers,do not deprive U.S.carriers of the opportunity to compete fairly.Competition and confrontation will be the main tone of Sino⁃US relations in the future,air traffic rights will certainly be a continuing topic of concern in both countries.We should attach great importance to the role of law in dealing with foreign affairs,ac⁃tively use law to safeguard our own rights and interests.We also should abandon the management idea of “internal and external differences”,take commercial behavior as the standard,establish the legislative con⁃cept of Internal and External Integration,pay attention to the important role of“Public Interest Clause”in resolving disputes,promote the refinement and precision of China's aviation legislation.These are the insti⁃tutional guarantee for regulating the business behavior of Chinese and foreign air carriers,and solving bilat⁃eral air transport disputes.