“美国习惯法”与《联合国海洋法公约》下的海洋秩序--基于沿海国和海洋利用国利益平衡的视角

“The U.S.Customary Law”and the Order of the Sea under UNCLOS-Reflections on the Balance of Interests Between the Coastal States and the Maritime States

与历史上“海洋自由”与“海洋锁闭”的此消彼长相呼应,海洋法上沿海国与海洋利用国的利益平衡在当下面临调整。作为非缔约国的美国,通过《联合国海洋法公约》规则与习惯国际法的连接,将“航行自由”奉为圭臬,以言说与行动不当地限缩着公约对沿海国权力的赋权。一方面,所谓的“美国习惯法”以国家实践、惩罚性后果与外交诱导的方式,对公约的平衡造成直接影响。另一方面,带有美国立场的学说传播和人员流动也间接助长此趋势。这使得公约缔约国借助“建构性模糊”勉力维持的利益平衡逐渐倒向海洋利用国。尽管如此,“美国习惯法”的实际影响仍可受到多种因素的制约。

The balance between the interests of coastal states and maritime powers in the law of the sea is now under adjustment,echoing the struggles in history between Mare Liberum and Mare Clausum.The United States,while staying outside the UNCLOS,has boosted“freedom of navigation”to influence the interpretation or application of substantive rules in the legal regimes established by the UNCLOS by referencing customary international law.This discourse,referred to as“the U.S.customary law”,has restricted the empowerment of coastal states under the UNCLOS and thus is detrimental to the balance of interests between the coastal states and maritime powers that the State parties to the UNCLOS intended to maintain through“constructive ambiguity”in drafting the UNCLOS.The U.S.resolutely introduced the discourse using its military might and soft power to provide diplomatic inducements and inflict punitive consequences.In addition,the discourse appears to gain support from academia and practitioners.Nevertheless,the ultimate impact may still be subject to several factors.