从WTO规则看中美经贸关系的走向

A View on the Development of Sino-American Economic and Trade Relationship through WTO Rules

中美两国是WTO最重要的成员。中美之间的贸易摩擦表面上看是两国制度造成的,但其背后却与WTO规则交织在一起。WTO框架下的多边贸易体制是一个以规则为导向的制度体系,WTO规则虽然在各成员境内没有直接适用效力,但是各成员制定的与贸易有关的法律和政策必须与WTO规则的内涵保持一致。不仅如此,各成员在WTO的地位和彼此之间的法律关系也要受WTO规则和国际习惯法调整。任何涉及多边贸易体制和各成员利益的举动都可能产生“牵一发而动全身”的效应。因此,研究中美经贸关系不应停留在两国国内法层面,还应该放在整个WTO规则体系中去分析。同样,中美经贸关系的研究结论也有助于我们进一步了解多边贸易体制的未来走向。

China and the United States are the two most important WTO Members.From the perspective on the surface,the Sino-American trade frictions are caused by their domestic systems.Nevertheless,they are intertwined with the WTO rules due to the fact that the trade regime under the WTO is a rule-oriented system.Although the WTO rules have no direct applicability within its members,the members should keep their domestic trade laws and policies consistent with the WTO rules.Moreover,the legal status of the members and the relationships between them within the WTO are also regulated by these rules and customary international law.Any change concerned with the multilateral trade regime and interests of WTO members may cause a huge response.Under this circumstance,the study on Sino-American trade relationship should not be limited to the domestic laws of these two countries,but extended to the whole WTO rules.Meanwhile,the conclusions resulting from the study on Sino-American trade relationship may also help us to have a better understanding on the development of the multilateral trade regime.