一
大名鼎鼎的台美人領袖盧主義前輩是台灣獨立運動史上著名的「費城
盧前輩的漢文名「主義」與什麼三民主義、共產主義、民族主義、自
盧前輩於1932年出生於日領與日治時代的台南州。
關於盧前輩的背景與思想的描寫與介紹,到目前為止,我認為「財團
我們今天要藉「青春逐夢台灣國」這本書「盧主義訪談紀錄」中「台
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二
我們現在就來對盧前輩在接受訪談時所做的那段談話,來做些評述,
第一,盧前輩做為一位從台灣移民到美國的美國人,他以美國國家利
第二,一般的台灣住民在思考時,會以「安全」做為最高的關切,這
第三,盧前輩從美國的角度與利益出發,來思考台灣問題,這種立場
第四,台灣被中國併吞,台灣一定會被中國變成一個威脅美國、日本
第五,盧前輩指出,「台灣和美國的安全問題是有連帶關係的,台灣
第七,由於盧前輩近年來十分重視美國的安全與台灣的安全的關連性,所以,今年(2014)在賓州的E
三
為了向盧前輩致敬,我們今天在台灣建州運動的臉書網頁上特別先將
“America’s Security and Taiwan’s Freedom “(節錄版,若要引述,請註明作者與標題)
July 4, 2014
© Jay Tsu-yi Loo
I. Appeasement of China will endanger U.S. homeland security
The rise of China poses grave challenges not only to U.S. national security but ultimately to America’s survival as a fully independent democratic nation. To keep the peace, the U.S. must face this reality, discard the culture of excessive deference to Beijing’s wishes, and implement policies to maintain military superiority, both conventional and nuclear, including cyber war and space war capabilities; reduce the persistent trade deficit and stanch the flow of U.S. wealth to China; steer China towards democratization, by engaging Chinese civic groups which favor democracy and by preserving Taiwan’s freedom as a model for China to follow; strengthen regional alliances, particularly with Japan and South Korea; and engage China in economic and strategic dialogue, to promote fair trade and to avoid misunderstanding.
II. Abandonment of Taiwan will lead to geostrategic disaster
While Chiang Kai-shek’s troops occupied the island on behalf of allied forces at the end of World War II, in the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty Japan merely gave up its title to Taiwan and no beneficiary was named. It is the official position of the U.S. that the international status of Taiwan is still undetermined. Thus, the Republic of China (ROC) government which rules Taiwan has no sovereignty over Taiwan. China’s claim on Taiwan is weak on both historical and legal grounds.[ix]
China wants to acquire Taiwan for two main reasons. Taiwan’s democracy is a threat to the CCP’s autocratic and repressive rule. China needs Taiwan as a military base from which to project power into the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
If Taiwan were to fall by PLA coercion or internal subversion, the U. S. would suffer a geostrategic disaster.
It is more likely that Chinese acquisition of Taiwan would trigger a chain of events resulting in China’s hegemony over East Asia.
(盧前輩在夏令會中宣讀的講稿,為了尊重與保護盧前輩的著作權,所以請
III. The relevance of Taiwan’s democracy
For the past three decades, successive U.S. presidents have adopted a policy of engagement with China: opening our market to Chinese products, thus enabling China’s rapid economic growth and embracing the People’s Republic as a member of the civilized community of nations, thus enhancing the legitimacy of the CCP rule in the eyes of the Chinese citizens. This policy is based on the theory that economic reform will inevitably lead to political liberalization and democratic transformation in China. A democratic China will be friendly toward the U.S. and will not pursue expansionist policy towards its neighbors. Therefore, the U.S., should welcome the emergence of an ever more powerful China.
This theory of a benign China has not panned out. China now claims that the whole South China Sea as its core interest. Beijing continues to imprison hundreds of thousands of political dissidents, including Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo.
The CCP abhors democracy as its Nemesis for several reasons. First, democratization means the demolition of the Party’s Leninist monopoly of power, whereby the ruling elite and cadres enrich themselves at the expense of ordinary citizens. Second, once the grip on governmental means of coercion is lost, emboldened citizens would demand settlement of accounts for the Party’s past sins, e.g., the endemic malfeasance of party officials and the tens of millions of Chinese who perished during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Third, the CCP is convinced Western democracy is incompatible with Chinese culture and Chinese imperial and hierarchical tradition. Finally, the CCP believes its socialist government is more efficient in achieving national goals such as economic growth, building a powerful military and ultimately world domination.
The preservation of Taiwan as an independent democracy is in accord with the interests of the U.S. and its democratic allies in Asia precisely because Taiwan’s democracy is a thorn in the side of the CCP. Taiwan is a beacon of hope for those Chinese who aspire to a more open society with rule of law, freedom of expression and religion and in which people can freely elect their officials and representatives at all levels of government. Taiwan’s experience disproves the fallacy that democratic values are incompatible with Asian culture. An independent Taiwan hinders China’s projection of power into the Pacific and Indian Oceans and safeguards the vital sea lines of communication for Japan and South Korea. So the preservation of Taiwan’s freedom contributes directly to the peace and stability of East Asia and beyond.
IV. China’s growing nuclear capability
The greatest threat to America’s homeland security is not a terrorist attack by a dirty bomb, it is an unexpected nuclear Pearl Harbor! In the late 1990's, a PLA specialist wrote a classified report for the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment. The author, an adviser to the Defense Secretary, did the pioneer study of PLA military doctrine. He was worried that the PLA may one day launch a massive nuclear attack against the US and that the US will never anticipate such nuclear surprise attack because of cultural differences. Having gone through the KMT’s patriotism education in Taiwan, I would not dismiss out of hand the possibility of PLA launching a nuclear Pearl Harbor against the US homeland. For a prominent American scholar to conceive of such danger is intriguing and surprising.
The Middle Kingdom syndrome and irrational Chinese nationalism combined with the PLA’s growing military capability could pose a grave threat to peace and stability not only of Asia but the whole world. Taiwanese Americans, because of our education, exposure to Chinese culture and experience with the KMT rule, know the Chinese ambition to dominate the world. We have a responsibility to point out the danger of complacency in dealing with the rising China to the U.S. government and the general public.
V. How can the U.S. safeguard Taiwan’s freedom
Assuming that Washington has the wisdom to realize the importance of Taiwan’s freedom to peace and stability of East Asia and ultimately to the security of the U.S. homeland, what can the U.S. do to preserve Taiwan’s de facto independence from the PRC?
First, the U.S. should make clear its position that the so-called Republic of China government has no legitimate sovereignty over Taiwan. Washington should reiterate the U.S. policy that the future of Taiwan must be resolved peacefully and with the express assent of the Taiwanese people.
Second, the Obama administration should work with Congress to speed up the sale of advanced fighters and other weapons useful in resisting a PLA invasion of the island.
Washington should also initiate high level contacts between the militaries of the U.S. and Taiwan, to boost Taiwan’s morale and readiness and to help counter any subversive activities within Taiwan. Such exchanges could include port calls by U.S. navy ships.
Third, the U.S. should actively assist Taiwan in reducing its excessive economic dependence on China. Bringing Taiwan into the Trans-Pacific Partnership at an early stage would help.
Lastly, the U.S. should send high level officials to Taiwan, to meet with opposition parties, non-governmental organizations and civic groups throughout the island, in order to monitor the volatile situation there. The Ma administration continues to push hard for an early unification with China, while opposition to such betrayal is mounting. The resultant social upheaval could well trigger PLA military intervention. The US could be caught off guard by a challenge to its credibility as a Pacific power.
The CCP leadership grasps the political and strategic value of Taiwan to China’s expansionist ambitions. Hopefully, U.S. leaders will also recognize the importance of Taiwan to American’s national interests and will adopt timely measures to forestall a seminal geostrategic disaster for the United States.
VI. Conclusion
The acquisition of Taiwan will propel China toward expansionism and eventual conflict with the United States. "Taiwan’s security is ultimately America’s security as well," to quote the late New York Congressman Gerald Solomon.[xiii]
So Taiwanese Americans need to remind America’s policy elite that Taiwan’s freedom is vital to US homeland security.
The U.S. should be brave enough to uphold this principle of self-determination for the people of Taiwan, because doing so is ultimately in the best interest of the United States.
Winston Churchill once said America will eventually do the right thing but not before exhausting all other possibilities. In engaging the People’s Republic our foremost objective should not be to avoid Beijing’s displeasure and America’s security should not be dependent on China’s good will.
Let us hope that the United States will do the right thing, sooner rather than later, as the cost of complacency and delay will be high.
(Jay Loo is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Assessment and Strategy Center, a research institution based in Washington, D.C. and a member of the North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IASC or NATPA.)
台灣建州運動發起人周威霖
David C. Chou
Founder, Formosa Statehood Movement
(an organization devoted in current stage to making Taiwan a territorial commonwealth of the United States)
附錄:
「多采多姿的美東夏令會」
(美國洛杉磯)太平洋時報
2014-07-17
【本報記者陳如媜華府報導】今年的美東台灣人夏令會多采多姿,來
主辦的賓州台灣同鄉會精心安排豐富的節目滿足不同的需求,政治類
最熱門的時事論壇從3日報到起每晚開鑼,場場爆滿座無虛席,首場
4日開幕式,夏令會理事長陳初雄、總召翁進治(Helen Loo)等主要幹部分別致詞歡迎,隨即展開一連串研討會,開場由
福萊柏教授認為美中關係雖有轉變,中國現也變得較不像共產國家,
次場時事議題「如何拯救台灣」,與談人包括台聯美東主委陳貞華、
5日重頭戲是參選台中市長的立委林佳龍專題演講「台灣e前途」(
這次大會安排的藝文講座非常精彩,暢銷書”The Third Son”台美人作家Julie Wu 介紹她的心路歷程,蔡明峰談選舉時網路媒體的力量,王文隆敘述建
夏令會兩晚照例有「陳文成紀念音樂會」和「台灣之夜」晚會,前者
「台灣之夜」由加州的田土伯主持,主要是台美人年輕世代TANG
六日舉行閉幕式,明年夏令會由紐澤西同鄉會接棒,鄉親互道珍重,
[註: 夏令會的籌備委員會召集人是盧主義夫人Helen Loo]
台灣建州運動發起人周威霖
David C. Chou
Founder, Formosa Statehood Movement
(an organization devoted in current stage to making Taiwan a territorial commonwealth of the United States)
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