| Abstract: | 2017年12月18日，美總統川普發布上任後首份《國家安全戰略報告》，直指中國挑戰美國的國力、影響力及與國家利益，並以美國經濟安全出發，訴說美國的經濟繁榮是國家安全的一環，亦特別強調美國現在的經濟發展，正面臨中國與其他國家對渠不公平及不自由的經貿政策傷害與挑戰。有鑑於此，美國將不再容忍其他國家違反自由貿易的規則、欺騙及經濟侵略的作為，並指出中國企圖削弱侵蝕美國的安全與繁榮，美國應該採取所有適當手段以反制他國不公平貿易做為等具體措施。自2018年3月起，美國首先公布對中國301貿易調查結果，認為中國以限制外貿持股比例強迫美商技術轉移、以非市場價格要求美商技術授權、政策性支持陸企在美投資以獲取尖端技術等，於是川普簽署備忘錄指示貿易代表署（USTR）對中國不公平貿易行為採取關稅制裁。隨後，伴隨著中國的反擊，美中貿易衝突展開序幕。
美中貿易戰的背景成因在於美國認為中國正在人工智慧（AI）及第五代行動通訊技術（5G）等領域趕超越美國，且雙方在體制上存在本質基礎差異等因素，憂心崛起之中國將在國際政治與經濟地位上領先美國，故藉由執行限制高科技產品及技術外流中國、抵制陸企華為並持續施壓歐洲等國禁用華為等舉措，期遏阻中國發展相關高階技術，過程中亦有雙方領導人個性與策略施行等各項舉措之影響。本文蒐集、彙整自2018年起美中貿易衝突之起因、過程及後續影響，觀察美中雙方在貿易戰談談打打的過程中，雙方態度似乎轉趨強硬，不僅美中在經貿關係由以往相互依賴有走向脫鉤分化的傾向，戰略競逐層面亦帶往科技、軍事、外交與文化等領域，基此，筆者以新古典現實主義角度為出發，在美中貿易戰之際，透過美中兩國領導人在外交政策下達、戰略方針調整以及國際體系結構演變等情況下，提供不一樣的新視角。
On December 18, 2017, the White House released the first National Security Strategy in President Trump’s term, arguing that China has challenged America’s power, influence, and national interests. Pointing out that a strong economy is crucial to America’s national security from the perspective of economic security, the document also accused China and other countries of weakening America’s economy by unfair trade practices and announced that America would no longer tolerate other countries’ violations of free trade rules, cheating, or economic aggression. Furthermore, as China attempts to undermine America’s security and prosperity, the US should take all appropriate measures to counter unfair trade practices, suggested the report. On March of 2018, the US published the result of section 301 investigation of China’s acts, accusing China of forcing American companies to transfer their technology through foreign ownership restrictions, demanding them to authorize their technology for a price below the current market value, and introducing policies that support Chinese enterprises’ investment in the US to obtain cutting-edge technologies. In response to China’s unfair trade practices, President Trump directed the USTR to impose tariff sanctions on China, which soon retaliated and initiated the trade dispute hence.
The Sino-US trade war originated from the Trump administration’s belief that China attempts to surpass America in the development of artificial intelligence and 5G technology; the fundamental difference in ideology between the US and China is another cause. Worrying that the rising China will replace America as the global political and economic leader, the White House has limited the export of high-tech products and technology to China, banning Huawei, and pressuring European countries to follow suit, aiming curb China’s development of high-end technology; those approaches were influenced by Chinese and American leaders’ personalities and strategies as well. This thesis collects and summarizes the cause, process, and subsequent effects of the Sino-US trade dispute that began in 2018. As the two sides turned hardline on trade issues during the negotiation, the economic interdependence between the United States and China has declined, and the scope of strategic competition has spilled over technology, military, diplomatic, and cultural aspects. This thesis analyzes the evolution of American and Chinese leaders’ foreign policies and strategic guidelines and the restructuring of the international system to provide a new angle for analyzing the US-China trade dispute. |
