在日本对于磷矿进口的需求不断增加的背景下,日本商界和政府将目标转向了对南海的磷矿资源进行开发。日本商人平田末治寻求与取得广东政府开采许可的中国商人何瑞年进行合作,日本通过资本控制了西沙群岛磷矿的实际开采。但是何瑞年的开采许可受到中国国内特别是广东地方政局的直接影响,同时日本商人之间也存在竞争,日本政府与台湾总督府需要协调各方的利益关系。中国与日本同时面对商业理性与政府利益之间的冲突,两国围绕西沙群岛磷矿开发产生的合作、竞争与纠纷也反映了时代背景下中日关系的发展与调整。 Against the backdrop of Japan’s increasing demand for phosphate rock imports, Japanese business and government have shifted their focus to the development of phosphate rock resources in the South China Sea. Japanese businessman Hirata Miho sought to cooperate with He Ruinian, a Chinese businessman who obtained the permission of the Guangdong government for exploitation, and Japan controlled the actual exploitation of Xisha phosphate rock by capital. However, He Ruinian’s exploitation permit has been directly affected by the local political situation in China, especially in Guangdong. Meanwhile, there is also competition among Japanese businessmen. The Japanese government and the government of Taiwan need to coordinate the interests of all parties. China and Japan also face the conflict between business rationality and government interests. The cooperation and competition and disputes arising from phosphate rock development in the Xisha Islands also reflect the development and adjustment of the Sino-Japanese relations under the background of the times.