国际经济法视域下的国有企业公私主体地位认定标准

Treatment Standards of State-Owned Enterprises as Public or Private Entities Under International Economic Law

伴随着中国崛起和全球经济治理变革,国有企业的公私主体地位认定标准日益成为一个重要话题。在国际经济法的三个主要领域,这个话题都曾引发持久而热烈的讨论:在国际金融法领域,集中体现为多边开发银行的相关法律和案例裁决;在国际投资法领域,集中体现为国际投资争端解决中心的相关法律和案例裁决;在国际贸易法领域,集中体现为世界贸易组织的相关法律和案例裁决。这些领域的研究显示,国有企业的公私主体地位认定基本遵循“基于职能”的标准;但是,偏离此标准的做法已经出现,主要是“基于所有制”的认定标准。这项结论不仅对于国际经济法未来发展影响重大,而且对于中国国有企业改革也具有重要意义。国际社会如何评价、能否接受中国的社会主义市场经济体制,都将受到此项结论的影响。

The treatment standards of state-owned enterprises(SOEs) as public entities have far-reaching and significant implications against the background of China’s rise and the reform of global economic governance. The relevant standards have been abundantly debated and tested in three areas of international economic law: international financial law, represented by multilateral development bank law;international investment law, represented by law of the ICSID;and international trade law, represented by law of the WTO. After reviewing those areas of international law, the article concludes that a function-based approach has generally been observed in conducting the relevant examination, but some deviations, featuring an ownership-based approach, do exist. This finding is meaningful for the development of future international law, as well as for China’s domestic SOE reform. Broadly, it is instructive on whether and how China’s unique economic system, guided by a strong government, will be accepted by the international community.