目前，美国欲针对中美企业之间的供应链采取限制性措施，虽然短期内可能会对相关企业造成冲击，但律师认为，长远来看，中国企业仍能在全球化的市场中找到新的出路。
今年1月，中美两国达成第一阶段贸易协议，然而随着新冠疫情在全球范围内持续蔓延，美国近期再次针对供应链发布限制性举措，为相关中国企业的未来抹上一道阴影。
在过去的一周里，美国政府针对两国企业间供应链的动作不断：先是特朗普政府在全球范围内阻止向此前被列入贸易黑名单的电信设备巨头华为供应芯片；随后，美国议员及官员又进入多项提案的起草阶段，欲推动美国企业将业务或关键供应商移出中国，以鼓励美国企业大幅削减与中国的关系。
律师表示，这或将给中国企业带来一些短期冲击。
“虽然我们认为短期内美国企业大规模将其供应链移出中国的情况不太可能发生，但是在这一点上，预见性和确定性都非常低。” 鸿鹄律师事务所合伙人赖珊华说道，“如果发生这种情况，可以预见的是，处于供应链上、中、下游的企业，都会受到一定的冲击，特别是对中小企业而言，在短时间内可能会陷入经营困境。”
尽管短期内，对美国企业或市场依赖性比较大的中国企业可能会受到影响和冲击，但从长远来看，不可逆的全球化进程依然会带来新的出路。
“至今，已经没有一个国家可以在全部产业链条中实现完全的自给自足。在全球化下，没有一个国家可以脱离其他国家而运转。特别是在中国早已成为世界第二大经济体的今天，世界经济对中国的依赖程度不断加深。鉴于目前的情况，美国企业彻底移出其在中国的供应链的可能性并不大。”赖律师说道。
面对瞬息万变的形势，赖律师建议中国企业保持冷静、积极准备，从而找到长期发展的出路。
“中国企业要相信市场。无论是上游供应商市场、还是下游客户端市场，在大多数行业内都是可以找到替代的合作伙伴的，这也是经济全球化带来的巨大裨益。”她说。
赖律师建议道：“企业同时还要未雨绸缪，对内要想方设法提高供应链风险管理水平，而对外，也要有全球布局的眼光，通过对外直接投资，为企业编织一张应对供应链风险的‘安全网’。”
Global options will help China see off U.S. supply chain attacks
The U.S. government has taken aim at China’s supply chain, as well as the supply chain for one of its most well-known companies, making the already tense relationship between the two countries even more unstable. However, although Chinese enterprises can expect to take a hit in the short term, lawyer believes that they will be able to adapt over time.
While the trade truce reached by China and U.S. in this January slightly eased the tensions between the two countries, it did not last long. With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading globally, bilateral ties are under strain again, particularly in the light of recent actions from the U.S.
The past week saw the U.S. government make belligerent moves toward Chinese companies through supply chain attacks. First, the Trump government blocked the global supply of chips to telecommunications equipment giant Huawei Technologies, which it had added to a trade blacklist in May last year. Then, U.S. lawmakers and officials are drafting proposals to push U.S. enterprises to move operations out of China – as well as cut ties with suppliers there - in an effort to cripple domestic enterprises.
Lawyers say that this will cause Chinese companies some short-term pain. “Although China is unlikely to experience an exodus of supply chains led by US firms in near future, there is plenty of unpredictability and uncertainty about developments,” says Shan Lai, a partner at Bird & Bird, “If that did happen, the players in the upstream, midstream and downstream of the whole supply chain would be impacted and small and medium-sized enterprises would be hardest-hit and mired in distress.”
However, given the globalized world today, Chinese enterprises will be able to find a new way out in the long run. “No individual country can be completely self-sufficient in all supply chains for all industries. Few countries can survive in isolation and most rely upon a network of other countries for their prosperity. China is now the world's second largest economy and the global economy is increasingly correlated to China's economy. On this basis, we would say the chance of completely moving supply chains out of China by US businesses is slim,” says Shan.
For the time being, she advises Chinese enterprises to keep calm and prepare actively for the changes to come. “For most industries, there are alternative partners to work with for either upstream suppliers or downstream customers, which is the major benefit globalisation brings us,” says Shan. “Meanwhile, Chinese firms should take countermeasures to prepare for rainy day. Internally, they should improve risk management in supply chain both upstream and downstream, and work out a back-up supply chain programme. Externally they should put in place development plans from a global perspective, getting themselves a 'safety network' via outbound direct investment to deal with risks in their supply chains.”
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