越南战争和约翰逊对华政策

The Vietnam War and Lyndon Johnson's Policy toward China

1965年8月,约翰逊总统做出决定,放宽对华旅行限制,允许美国医生、科学家以及公共卫生等领域的人员访问中国,从而修正了美国政府从1950年朝鲜战争爆发以后就一直执行的对华旅行禁令。约翰逊为什么做出这一政策调整?不少学者认为,约翰逊采取此举是为了缓和来自盟国以及来自国内(包括政府幕僚、国会、舆论和学术界)要求调整对华政策的压力。但"缓和压力"说并不能圆满地解释约翰逊做出放宽对华旅行限制决定的时间问题,因为从1963年11月约翰逊接替肯尼迪担任总统以后,他就一直面对来自国内外要求调整对华政策的压力,为什么他最终在1965年下半年点头同意放宽对华旅行限制?他做出此举的时间为什么不是在1964年,或1965年上半年?本文认为:导致约翰逊总统在1965年下半年放宽对华旅行限制的主要原因,和他当时在越南奉行战争升级的政策密切相关。1964年下半年,约翰逊开始轰炸北越,以惩罚和阻止北越向南越渗透人员和武装。1965年上半年,约翰逊又直接向南越派出军队,帮助南越政权和越共武装作战,从而将越南战争美国化。但与此同时,约翰逊又牢记美国在朝鲜战争中因为忽视中国警告而导致中国出兵朝鲜和美军血战的教训,不希望美国这次干涉越南又一次引起一场中美直接军事对抗。所以,在这一时期,约翰逊在作越战决策时,总是在考虑他应如何打消中国对美国的疑虑,如何使中国领导人相信:美国在越南的战争升级,只是为了保卫南越盟友,只是为了阻止北越推翻西贡政权,而不是要消灭作为中国盟友的北越。为了避免中国错判美国在越南的意图,约翰逊选择在1965年8月对中国做出希望改善美中关系的举动。

In August 1965,President Lyndon Johnson lifted the ban on American travel to China,permitting American doctors,scientists,and people in the field of public health to visit China.This policy adjustment terminated the restrictions on travel to China that had been in place since the outbreak of the Korean War.Why did Johnson make this adjustment? Many scholars argue that Johnson made this move primarily in response to the pressure from abroad and at home,including pressure from government officials,Congress,the press,and intellectuals.But the'response to pressure'theory does not provide a satisfactory answer to the question of timing in Johnson's decision because ever since Johnson succeeded John F.Kennedy as president in November 1963,he had been facing international and domestic pressure to change American policy to China.Why did he decide to remove the travel ban in the second half of 1965?Why didn't he do so in the second half of 1964 or in the first half of 1965?This article contends that Johnson's move to lift the travel restrictions against China was closely related to his decision to escalate the war in Vietnam at the time.In the second part of 1964, Johnson unleashed bombing against North Vietnam to punish and stop its infiltration to South Vietnam.In the first part of 1965,Johnson also began to deploy American ground troops in South Vietnam to Americanize the Vietnam War.But at the same time,Johnson did not want to expand the war to China because he remembered the bitter lessons of the Korean War when Washington's failure to heed Beijing's warning not to cross the 38th Parallel led to a direct Sino-American confrontation in Korea.Johnson did not want to repeat the Korean tragedy in Vietnam.As a result, when Johnson was escalating the war in Vietnam,he wanted to assure Chinese leaders that the purpose of his escalation in Vietnam was limited and that he only wanted to defend South Vietnam,an American ally,rather than seeking to destroy the North Vietnamese government,a Chinese ally.In order to avoid a Chinese misreading of the American intentions,Johnson decided to make a gesture of goodwill,that is,the lifting of the travel restrictions.