漸顯破綻之美英兩國間特殊關係——美英對中國經濟外交之暗中角力

Unravelling Anglo-American“Special Relationship”: A Secret Strife inEconomic Diplomacy to China

英國於2015 年3 月突然宣布加入由中國主導的設備投資銀行，以此為契機，亞洲設備投資銀行在美國與日本缺席的狀態下，有57 個原加盟國，並於2016 年1 月正式營運。以此為始，英中兩國關係似乎逐漸強化。然而，因為何種動機導致英國政府轉換政策方向，自何時開始，有何種構想，預做了何種準備，該如何著手進行，其事前經過何種決策過程進而改變政策方針，最終何以唐突公布政策，是本文欲探討的動機。從此種政策方向的轉換可以觀察英國外交及安全政策之障礙，特別是長久以來在英國的外交政策中，任何與英國對美政策存在矛盾與衝突的外交政策，都會被視為是最重要的。本文所欲分析之論點在於，西元2008 年秋天，雷曼兄弟破產引發全球性金融海嘯，於此同時，英國在西藏政策、金融政策，進而在香美暗中角力明朗化，亞洲設備投資銀行問題實則不過是英美背後角力之附加現象。港政策上採取靜態卻大膽地政策改革，並以慎重且縝密周全的態度轉變政策方針，逐步採取親中政策。本文以此研究背景，分析其背後之決策過程。此外，本文之分析要點在於，解析隨著美國霸權的凋零而促使英美暗中角力明朗化，亞洲設備投資銀行問題實則不過是英美背後角力之附加現象。

In March 2015, Britain abruptly announced its decision to enterChina-led Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank in the making. It started thebusiness operation in January 2016 with 57 founding member states,excluding the United States and Japan. Since then, Britain has increasinglystrengthened its relations with China. Thus it begs the question about theabrupt policy shift, more specifically, Britain’s motive, idea, scheme, andinitiatives in pursing it as well as its policy processes and circumstances.More importantly, it is essential to investigate if Britain faced any majorobstacles in foreign and security policy, especially, any confrontation andeven contradiction with its policy toward the United States that has beengenerally considered as most important. This study will analyze not onlyBritain’s low-profile yet drastic policy shift after the global financial crisis offall 2008, referring to the interplays with its Tibet, financial, and Hong Kongpolicies, but also the backgrounds and circumstances of the shift that wascautious and well prepared. This work will argue, as an analytical vantagepoint, for the central importance of an Anglo-American secret strife in thecontext of U.S. hegemonic decline, involving that the Bank issue is ratherepiphenomenal.