When The Alliance Politics Meets The Divergence Of Economic Interests�

With the formation of the bipolar pattern between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War,the world was divided into two camps,the East and the West.Under the two opposing camps,the political,military,and economic relations between them became increasingly tense.In order to curb the military and economic development of the socialist camp and maintain the advantages of the capitalist camp,the United States helped Western European countries to recover its economy through economic assistance and other means,while jointly controlling export to socialist countries.If controlled materials and technology were carried out by only one country,the controlled country could still obtain related materials from other countries,and the effectiveness of the control couldn't be guaranteed.Therefore,in order to ensure the effectiveness of export control,control was often carried out by multiple countries rather than by a single country.Countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom established the secret organization �Coordinating Committee for Export Control to Communist Area�,and each country controlled the trade with the Eastern countries on the basis of coordination.However,as the scope of export control would affect the economic interests of exporting countries,the United States would often face the demands of the United Kingdom and other allies to relax export controls,and the differences between the allies were often difficult to coordinate.During the Korean War,political interests among allies were more important than economic interests.Due to China's participation in the war,the United Statesregarded China as its direct threat and strengthened its control over China.The comprehensive control over China for more than two decades also began.As an ally of the United States,the United Kingdom was in step with the United States when the Cold War situation was tense,and cooperated with it to strengthen its control over China.But after the North Korean truce,Britain's aspiration for economic interests became more apparent.The United Kingdom requested to ease export controls on China,but received no response from the United States.The United Kingdom used the exception procedure to export to China many times.Although the scope of export control to China was relaxed,many restrictions still needed to be imposed.And the differences between the United Kingdom and the United States in their export control policies to China continued to expand.In 1957,the United Kingdom unilaterally took action to relax the export control standards for China to the same standards as for the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.The United States negotiated with the United Kingdom on the issue,but the two countries did not reach an agreement,and differences between the alliance and national security and economic interests were reflected in it.Since then,member countries of COCOM Committee relaxed their export controls to China,and the multilateral export control system led by the United States was seriously challenged.In the 1960 s,the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations led the United Kingdom and the United States to reconsider how to adjust their policies towards China.The tension between the two countries and the Soviet Union directly affected their relations with China.The Second Berlin Crisis strained the relationship between Britain and the Soviet Union.The United Kingdom considered strict control of the socialist camp,but this policy precluded China.During this period,the Sino-Soviet alliance broke down,and the UK hoped to use the sharp reduction in Sino-Soviet trade to expand trade between China and Britain and ease export controls on China.US export control policy toward China in the 1960 s was swinging between�containment� and �looseness� until the Nixon Administration relaxed its embargo policy against China.Although the Kennedy Administration and the Johnson Administration discussed policies to ease China's regulation repeatedly,they were not implemented.It was not until the Nixon administration that the United States gradually relaxed its embargo policy against China.In 1972,the United States abolished the �Chinese Differential� that had been insisted on since the Korean War,resumed the non-strategic trade with China,and its long-standing differences with theUnited Kingdom on export controls to China eased to some extent.The British and American export control policies to China during this period reflected the different economic Cold War strategies between them,led by different political,security,and economic interests.When the United States formulated its Cold War policy,it needed to consider first how to safeguard its national security and emphasized confrontation and containment in its policy towards China.The British Cold War policy reflected the tradition of actualism,which also required the relaxation of the scope of containment in order to safeguard its economic interests.Although the UK had no disagreement with the US on the issue of the containment of the Eastern Bloc,it required a specific strategy of contact,relaxation of trade controls on China,and differences with the US policy on China.But the differences between the two countries couldn't shake the foundation of the alliance.The formulation and adjustment of US and UK export control policies to China were facing pressure from both home and abroad,and the policies of both countries have had some compromises and concessions.After the Cold War,the export control policies of the United Kingdom and the United States continued,and the �Wassenaar Arrangement�re-formulated the control list and implemented control.In recent years,developed countries such as the United States have regulated China in the technical field and other aspects,which has hindered cooperation and exchanges between countries.Its export control is a continuation of the institutionalized export control policies that have been formed during the Cold War period.Therefore,the study on the export control issues during the Cold War period has certain reference significance for the trade control that still exists at this stage.