“獎勵忠貞僑商”：冷戰前期臺灣洋菇罐頭銷美與僑務互動，1960-1980

Rewards for Loyalty: The Export of Canned Mushrooms to America and Its Relations with the Overseas Chinese Affairs in Taiwan, 1960-1980

王秀惠(Hsiu-Huei Wang)

《興大歷史學報》 17期 (2006/06) Pp. 553-598

https://doi.org/10.29624/CHJH.200606.0017

摘要

冷戰時期以來，資本主義與共產主義對峙造就了美蘇兩大集團的相互抗衡。波及所至，美國禁止與中共政權下的中國有任何商貿來往。臺灣的加工食品－尤其是洋菇罐頭，就成為美國消費市場的寵兒。臺產菇罐甚至帶給美國本土菇業強大的競爭壓力。菇罐銷售的勃興映證了二戰之後美國經濟景況的大力改善，由此帶動華人餐館和國際商貿的興盛。
在美華商於冷戰期間，受美國反共氛圍的影響，也隨著採取反共立場。他們並以之來訴求臺灣的中華民國政府，多多照顧海外華人，籲請政府應將菇罐配額多給華人而非白人經銷商。而中華民國政府自從播遷到臺灣之後，僑務工作的目標置於團結僑民反抗國際共產主義之侵略，並力謀恢復與增強僑胞對政府之信心。於是政府就因勢利導，以菇罐配額作為誘引華商對臺向心力的利器，甚而作為獎懲華商是否忠貞於臺灣的工具。但是在1970年代以後，當中共進入聯合國，以及美國政府的立場由堅決反共到開放與中共來往，美國華商自然也隨之銷售中國貨品或來往於中國。如此之發展演變，是因為冷戰氛圍所致，也是華商受美國主流社會的威權所左右。我們不應就此責備華商，因為「忠貞」的認同意識，本是海外華人之命運歷程中永遠的難題。

關鍵字

洋菇罐頭 ； 僑務政策 ； 冷戰 ； 外貿 ； 配額制度

並列摘要

The paper examines the interaction between foreign trade and overseas Chinese affairs in Taiwan's government during the period of Cold War. After communist North Korea invaded the South in the summer of 1950, China entered the war and fought against the United States. In the process of the war against Communist China in Korea, American government banned its trade relations with China, which provided a great opportunity for importing the Taiwanese goods. Soon in America, the processed foods and handcrafts previously imported from China were replaced by those made in Taiwan, among them canned mushrooms having a vital part. Starting from the 1960s, mushroom became an important ingredient in the diet of American people. It thus played a key role in the foreign trade of Taiwan with America. In 1962, more than half of the imported canned mushrooms in the United States came from Taiwan. As a matter of fact, Taiwan took the lead for the imported canned mushrooms in America for nearly two decades. The paper, therefore, sets its focus on the period from 1960 to 1980.
The export pattern of Taiwan's canned mushrooms employed a quota system for distribution agency. The agents in America were dominated mainly by big white or Japanese food companies, which means many Chinese restaurant proprietors had to deal with white American or Japanese businessmen, instead of their own compatriots in Taiwan. The situation agitated many Chinese American merchants. They protested to Taiwan's government, accusing of the monopolization of the United Export Company of Chinese Taiwan Canned Mushrooms and complaining about the high standard of qualified agency. Moreover, these Chinese American merchants, following the atmosphere in American society where the Cold War generated panic of communism, pursued the anti-communist Taiwan's government for their own interests. Trying to rope in overseas Chinese to its side at the expanse of disparaging Mainland China, the government thus manipulated the canned mushrooms as rewards to those Chinese Americans loyal to its anti-communist policy.

並列關鍵字

canned mushrooms ； overseas Chinese affairs ； Cold War ； foreign trade ； quota system

參考文獻

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(Longtime Californ`).