国际技术标准与大国竞争——以信息和通信技术为例

International Technology Standards and Great Powers Competition:A Case Study of Information and Communications Technology

有关国际技术标准运行规律的一种传统看法是,技术优势可以通过技术标准的制定这个中介不断扩大,美国等西方国家也以此作为散布“中国威胁论”的理由。文章认为,技术先进的行为体之间在技术标准领域的竞争并不遵从上述规律,以技术标准为基础的技术与贸易优势具有暂时性和周期性,单纯依靠某项技术标准实现长期垄断利益是不可能的,“赢者通吃”的说法并不能成立;竞争可能带来不同的国际技术标准在一个时段内并存,从而导致不同的技术圈子和技术壁垒;技术标准竞争可能会带来一定的政治利益,政府可能因此携带行政资源介入国际技术标准的竞争。但是,政府的介入无法挽救过时的技术标准,也无法实现长期的垄断利益。文章的研究结果表明,中国企业参与国际技术标准的建设是一种正常现象,西方据此鼓吹的“中国威胁论”并无依据。

A traditional view of the function of international technology standards holds that technological advantage can be infinitely enhanced when a state maintains the ability to set technology standards.Following this view,the United States and other Western states have spread the"China-threat theory".It is argued here that competition between technologically advanced actors in the area of technology standards does not follow this pattern.Advantages in the areas of trade and technology that are based on technology standards are temporary and cyclical in nature,and it is impossible to gain a long-term monopoly relying solely on technical standards.In other words,the saying"winner takes all"does not apply in such cases.Competition can result in the co-existence of multiple international technology standards,which in turn can create different technological circles or barriers.Competition with respect to technological standards may also bring about certain political interests,and as such governments may target administrative resources towards influencing international technology standards.While so,government intervention cannot salvage outdated technological standards,nor can it realize long-term monopolistic interests.The findings of the research illustrate that it is only natural that Chinese companies participate in the construction of international technology norms,and that there is no basis for Western actors to concoct a"China threat theory"around such efforts.