“一国两制”是中国处理内地与港澳关系的基本国策,港澳基本法授权特别行政区可在一定领域对外缔结国际协议。港澳特区在中央政府授权下与外国政府签署了若干双边投资协议(BIT)。当某一东道国政府未与特区政府签订BIT而仅与中央政府订有BIT时,或两类BIT发生重叠时,即产生了中央政府所签订的BIT是否适用于港澳特区的问题。“谢业深诉秘鲁”案与“Sanum诉老挝”案充分折射出中国中央政府对外缔结的双边投资条约在港澳特区是否适用的难题,且两起案件的仲裁庭均持肯定意见,学界的讨论对此有褒有贬。严格来讲,中外BIT在港澳的适用绝非条约继承问题,而是因港澳两地的回归而引起的条约属地适用范围的拓展,仲裁庭在解释条约时应适当听取缔约方的意见,中国在未来修订BIT时亦有必要明确其属地范围。
“One Country,Two Systems” is China's basic state policy to deal with both the relationship between Inland and Hong Kong or Macao and the relationship between Mainland China and Taiwan,both Hongkong and Macao Basic Law entitle the Special Administrative Region to enter into international agreements in some fields. Hongkong and Macao signed some BIT with foreign governments under the authorization from Chinese central government. When a host state government do not engage in a BIT with Hongkong or Macao but has a BIT with Chinese central government,or these two types of BIT overlap with each other,the question whether BIT signed by central government applies to Hongkong and Macao arises. The case Tza Yap Shum v. Peru and Sanum v. Laos reflect the question about the application of BIT signed by central government in Hongkong and Macao,the tribunal in both cases hold the affirmative opinion,the academic circles have both compliment and criticism. Strictly speaking,the application of Chinese BIT in Hongkong and Macao is absolutely not the question of treaty succession,but the extension of treaty's territorial scope,when the tribunal interprets the treaty they should take the parties' opinions into consideration,China should also clarify the territorial scope when revising BIT in the future.