Washington Post Op-Ed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan
下文为美国众议院议长、民主党领袖南希·佩洛西在2022年8月2日降落台北后以专栏形式发表在《华盛顿邮报》上的文章，详细解释了国会议员代表团访问台湾的动机与意图。可见此行目的明确，准备充分，代表美国政治意愿。原文链接：《华盛顿邮报》链接(需vpn)，众议院议长网站链接(Chrome可正常访问)。【】中为注释。
恰当理解当下的形势和问题，一定需要全面了解外部的信息，通过公开讨论才可能制定最有利的策略。闭门造车，断网删帖，内宣内行、外宣外行，“批示”模式，只会起到反作用。
August 2, 2022
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, is speaker of the House of Representatives.
Some 43 years ago, the United States Congress overwhelmingly passed — and President Jimmy Carter signed into law — the Taiwan Relations Act, one of the most important pillars of U.S. foreign policy in the Asia Pacific.
The Taiwan Relations Act set out America’s commitment to a democratic Taiwan, providing the framework for an economic and diplomatic relationship that would quickly flourish into a key partnership. It fostered a deep friendship rooted in shared interests and values: self-determination and self-government, democracy and freedom, human dignity and human rights.
And it made a solemn vow by the United States to support the defense of Taiwan: “to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means … a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.”
Today, America must remember that vow. We must stand by Taiwan, which is an island of resilience. Taiwan is a leader in governance: currently, in addressing the covid-19 pandemic and championing environmental conservation and climate action. It is a leader in peace, security and economic dynamism: with an entrepreneurial spirit, culture of innovation and technological prowess that are envies of the world.
Yet, disturbingly, this vibrant, robust democracy — named one of the freest in the world by Freedom House and proudly led by a woman, President Tsai Ing-wen — is under threat.
In recent years, Beijing has dramatically intensified tensions with Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has ramped up patrols of bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft near and even over Taiwan’s air defense zone, leading the U.S. Defense Department to conclude that China’s army is “likely preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force.”
The PRC has also taken the fight into cyberspace, launching scores of attacks on Taiwan government agencies each day. At the same time, Beijing is squeezing Taiwan economically, pressuring global corporations to cut ties with the island, intimidating countries that cooperate with Taiwan, and clamping down on tourism from the PRC.
In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom.
Our visit — one of several congressional delegations to the island — in no way contradicts the long-standing one-China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo. 【美国官方对台湾问题的标准陈述：《台湾关系法》排第一，《三个联合公报》排第二，《六项保证》排第三。中方的陈述从来只提《中美联合公报》。但事实上，《六项保证》明确了美国反对“武统”的立场，并保留了军事介入台海冲突的可能。见兔主席《台海问题》一文；另见尾注。】
Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Pacific — including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan — focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with our Taiwanese partners will focus on reaffirming our support for the island and promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. America’s solidarity with Taiwan is more important today than ever — not only to the 23 million people of the island but also to millions of others oppressed and menaced by the PRC.
Thirty years ago, I traveled in a bipartisan congressional delegation to China, where, in Tiananmen Square, we unfurled a black-and-white banner that read, “To those who died for democracy in China.” Uniformed police pursued us as we left the square.【这就是最近网上流传甚广的佩洛西1991年因“流氓罪”被北京警方处罚的缘由。】 Since then, Beijing’s abysmal human rights record and disregard for the rule of law continue, as President Xi Jinping tightens his grip on power.
The CCP’s brutal crackdown against Hong Kong’s political freedoms and human rights — even arresting Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen — cast the promises of “one-country, two-systems” into the dustbin. In Tibet, the CCP has long led a campaign to erase the Tibetan people’s language, culture, religion and identity. In Xinjiang, Beijing is perpetrating genocide against Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities. And throughout the mainland, the CCP continues to target and arrest activists, religious-freedom leaders and others who dare to defy the regime.
We cannot stand by as the CCP proceeds to threaten Taiwan — and democracy itself.
Indeed, we take this trip at a time when the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. As Russia wages its premeditated, illegal war against Ukraine, killing thousands of innocents — even children — it is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats. 【将台湾问题乌克兰化，是乌克兰战争爆发后西方舆论与意识形态导向的主推方向。】
When I led a congressional delegation to Kyiv in April — the highest-level U.S. visit to the besieged nation — I conveyed to President Volodymyr Zelensky that we admired his people’s defense of democracy for Ukraine and for democracy worldwide.
By traveling to Taiwan, we honor our commitment to democracy: reaffirming that the freedoms of Taiwan — and all democracies — must be respected.
【尾注】《六项保证》包括：
- 美国未同意设定终止对台军售的日期；
- 美国未同意就对台军售议题向中华人民共和国征询意见；
- 美国不会在台北与北京之间担任斡旋角色；
- 美国未同意修订1979年《台湾关系法》；
- 美国未改变关于台湾主权的立场；
- 美国不会对台施压，要求台湾与中华人民共和国进行谈判。
其中1-2是中美之间对于“一个中国原则”的解释与美国对台军售长久扯皮的根源，但根本性的问题在于4《台湾关系法》，其中明确了如下内容：“美国作出同中国建立外交关系的决定是以台湾的前途将以和平方式决定这种期望为基础的；凡是企图以和平以外的方式来解决台湾问题的努力，都将会威胁西太平洋地区的和平与安全，引起美国的严重关注。”
另，《三个联合公报》分别签署于1972年（《上海公报》）、1978年（《建交公报》）、1982年（《八一七公报》）；而《台湾关系法》于1979年卡特总统任上国会投票通过，《六项保证》于1982年里根总统任上对台湾当局做出的政治承诺，也是美国方面对《三个联合公报》特别是《八一七》公报的官方解释。