【英语国际】美国考虑对印度放松敏感技术出口管制

The U.S. is considering easing restrictions on the export of sensitive technologies to India, but it is unclear if the countries will strike a significant enough pact during President Barack Obama's visit here this weekend to claim a major advance in their strategic relationship.

The U.S. imposed the controls on trade with India in so-called dual-use technologies -- items that have both military and peaceful purposes -- after India's nuclear-weapons tests in 1998. India is pushing to do away with the regulations, arguing it has proved its nuclear nonproliferation bona fides over the years.

A major agreement on the issue would demonstrate a strengthening of strategic ties between the two countries and give India a tangible gain from Mr. Obama's visit to complement the billions of dollars in commercial sales the U.S. is expected to announce in aviation, defense and other sectors.

A major Indian objective is to get some of its governmental agencies that are involved in defense, nuclear and space research off of the U.S. 'entities' list, which bars or heavily restricts U.S. trade with foreign parties and includes companies and organizations in countries such as Iran and China.

'It's the problem-child list. It's the bad-boy list,' said Sanjay Mullick, a Washington-based lawyer at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP who advises U.S. clients on export controls. 'It doesn't mesh with the concept of a strategic partnership.'

Mr. Mullick said relaxing U.S. export controls significantly could ease India's imports of sensitive homeland-security equipment like cameras and encryption technology, promote more defense trade and boost high-tech cooperation.

Naresh Chandra, former Indian ambassador to the U.S., said a U.S. dismantling of export controls on India is 'a long time coming and would be a big breakthrough, but it would be a 'big disappointment' if the U.S. only tinkers with the restrictions in a minor fashion.

'If the outcome isn't substantial, it will be much ado about nothing,' he said.

Mr. Obama told an Indian news agency Wednesday that the export issue is 'very difficult and complicated,' lowering expectations in New Delhi somewhat.

But Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said Thursday that the countries are making progress in their discussions. 'Both governments are of the view that these controls, these obstacles that have existed in the way of dual-use-technology trade between the countries need to be reviewed,' with a goal to 'ultimately eliminate them altogether,' Ms. Rao told reporters.

Ms. Rao said smaller agreements are possible in health, agriculture, and clean energy during Mr. Obama's trip.

Mr. Obama, who arrives Saturday and will be in India for three days, is coming soon after Democrats took a beating in U.S. congressional midterm elections, partly over the country's high unemployment rate.

美国正在考虑是否放松对印度的敏感技术出口限制，但总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)周末访问期间，还不知道两国能否达成一份足够重要的协议，让它们之间的战略关系取得重大进展。

印度在1998年进行核武器试验后，美国对与印度之间军民两用技术的贸易实施了管制。印度促请解除管制，说多年来它已经证明了自己的核不扩散诚意。

如果能就这个议题达成重要协议，则将证明两国之间的战略关系得到加强，使印度在奥巴马访问期间，除了美国预计宣布向印度出售的数十亿美元航空、国防等物资外，还将获得又一个实实在在的利益。

印度的一个重要目标，是让一部分参与国防、核能和空间研究的政府机构脱离美国的管制名单。这个名单禁止或严格限制美国与国外相关方面的贸易，其中包括伊朗和中国等国家的公司和组织。

律师事务所Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP驻华盛顿律师穆利克(Sanjay Mullick)为美国客户提供出口管制咨询。他说，这是一个问题儿童名单，一个坏男孩名单，和战略伙伴关系的概念是不相符合的。

穆利克说，大幅放松美国的出口管制，有望使印度更加便利地进口摄像头和加密技术等敏感的国土安全设备，促进两国进行更多的国防贸易，并加强高科技领域的合作。

前印度驻美国大使钱德拉(Naresh Chandra)说，美国早就该解除对印度的出口管制了，它将是一个重大突破，但如果美国只对这些管制措施做些小小的修改，那么印度将十分失望。

他说，如果没有实质性的结果，那就是白忙活一场了。

奥巴马周三对印度一家通讯社说出口问题“非常艰难和复杂”，从而或多或少地降低了新德里方面的期望。

但印度外交秘书拉奥琪(Nirupama Rao)周四说，两国之间的谈判正在取得进展。她对媒体说，两国政府都认为，军民两用技术贸易存在的这些管制、这些障碍需要进行检讨，最终目标是将它们“一概清除”。

拉奥琪说，奥巴马访问期间，两国之间有可能在卫生、农业和清洁技术领域达成相对较小的协议。

奥巴马将于周六抵达印度，并将停留三天。访印之前，民主党刚刚在美国国会中期选举中遭遇惨败，部分原因在于美国高企的失业率。