作者:余茂春Miles Yu
幾十年來，中國共產黨一直堅持宣稱台灣是中國不可分割的一部分，而美國在某種程度上似乎默許了這一說法。然而，這一論點經不起哪怕最基本的推敲，既缺乏真正的歷史依據，也沒有法律或事實上的正當性。
中共企圖吞併台灣的理由，不過是建立在暴力、宣傳和外交恐嚇之上的一場騙局。儘管北京不斷鼓吹台灣是所謂的「叛亂省份」，但事實很簡單：中華人民共和國自成立以來，從未統治過台灣，哪怕一天都沒有。
自1949年以來，台灣一直由中華民國政府統治，並在國際上被普遍稱為「台灣」。中共從未掌控過台灣的土地、人民或政府機構。那麼，北京口中的「台獨運動」到底是什麼？這不過是中共為合理化自身擴張主義野心而刻意製造的一個「妖怪」。
台灣政府無論政治光譜如何變化，都始終堅持台灣是一個完整的、自治的、民主國家。台北無需宣布「獨立」，因為它本就已是一個獨立國家——中華民國在台灣。台灣擁有民選領導人、繁榮的經濟以及捍衛自身主權的軍隊。無論北京如何憤怒，台灣都是一個具有現實意義的國家。
中共常常引用中美三份聯合公報，聲稱華盛頓支持其「一個中國」原則。但事實並非如此。美國只是「承認」中國提出了這一主張，並未「同意」這一立場。華盛頓的對台政策始終牢牢建立在《台灣關係法》和「六項保證」之上，而台北也明確拒絕承認中國對台灣的主權。這些政策同時也確保了美國對台灣防務的承諾。
信息已經十分明確：台灣的未來必須由兩岸人民以和平、無脅迫的方式協商決定。如果中國企圖以武力吞併台灣，那不僅將違反國際準則，還會嚴重威脅全球穩定。
為了支撐其不合理的主張，北京一再扭曲歷史。它聲稱歷代中國王朝對台灣的統治證明台灣屬於中國，但歷史事實卻並非如此。台灣的統治者曾包括荷蘭、西班牙、日本，以及部分中國政權。如果以古代歷史作為主權認決標准，那麼中國是否也該為蒙古人和滿族人長期的外來統治負責？
現代國際社會對主權的定義基於國際法和民族自決權，而非斷章取義的歷史敘述。台灣2300萬公民的態度十分明確：他們拒絕接受中共統治。
北京聲稱其對台灣的企圖是出於維護「國家領土完整」的需要，但其實際行動卻暴露了這一說法的虛偽。自1949年以來，中國主動將大片領土割讓給意識形態盟友，如共產主義的蘇聯和蒙古。如果領土統一真是中共的核心目標，那為何這些土地從未成為其爭奪的重點？顯然，中共對台灣的執念與「主權」無關。
中國的外交政策充滿了自相矛盾。它拒絕承認「一個中國，一個台灣」，但當年卻能坦然接受東、西德並存的事實。它在1992年對朝鮮承認韓國一事保持沉默，卻不允許台灣在國際社會擁有應有的地位。這種前後矛盾揭示了中共外交策略的本質——徹頭徹尾的機會主義。
中共對台灣的威脅，本質上並非出於「國家統一」的考量，而是為了削弱美國在全球的領導地位，並挑戰民主秩序。中共深知自己正與自由世界展開一場意識形態較量，而美國是其最主要的對手。作為一個蓬勃發展的民主國家，台灣在全球商業和技術革命中扮演著關鍵角色，同時也是美國的重要夥伴。因此，台灣的存在對中共的威權模式構成了直接挑戰，這正是北京不惜一切要控制台灣的原因。
中共一次又一次地故意激化台海局勢，以此向美國施壓，並增強自身在全球的影響力。從20世紀50年代炮擊台灣離島，到1995-1996年的台海飛彈危機，再到今天幾乎每天的軍事挑釁，中國始終在試探華盛頓的底線。每一次危機的目的都如出一轍——削弱美國的國際信譽，動搖其對台灣及整個亞太民主秩序的承諾。
如今，北京仍在如法炮製，試圖通過軍事威脅迫使美國在談判中讓步。中國希望利用台海緊張局勢，迫使華盛頓減少對台北的支持，進而削弱其全球領導力。但除了地緣政治，中共對台灣的興趣還有一個更加現實的動機——台灣在全球半導體產業中的主導地位。
台灣是全球晶片製造巨頭台積電（TSMC）的所在地，而台積電幾乎壟斷了世界最先進的半導體生產。全球經濟嚴重依賴這一行業。如果北京控制台灣，不僅會重創民主世界，還將使中國在關鍵技術領域掌握巨大優勢，加速其全球霸權的野心。
歸根結底，中共的侵略行為並非為了「民族團結」，而是為了阻止另一種「中國模式」——一個自由、民主、繁榮的華人社會——在其掌控之外蓬勃發展。
台灣的存在證明了一個事實：即便沒有中共的極權統治，中國社會同樣可以繁榮、自由、民主。這正是台灣不僅對其人民，而且對整個世界都至關重要的原因。
・Yu是哈德遜學院中國中心主任,也是胡佛學院的訪問研究員,他的「紅色地平線」專欄每隔一個星期二出現在《華盛頓時報》上。
_________________
A War Built on Fiction: China’s Baseless Claim over Taiwan
Washington has never acknowledged China’s「one-China principle.」
Share to Facebook*
Share to LinkedIn*
Share to E-mail*
Print*
Miles Yu
Senior Fellow and Director, China Center
Foreign Policy
For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has pushed the tired claim thatTaiwanis an inseparable part ofChinaand that the U.S. has somehow pledged to endorse this fantasy. But this argument falls apart under even the slightest scrutiny. It has no real historical, legal, or factual legitimacy.
The CCP’s justification for its aggression towardTaiwanis nothing more than smoke and mirrors— held up by brute force, propaganda and diplomatic intimidation.
DespiteBeijing’sconstant drumbeat aboutTaiwanbeing a「renegade province,」 the truth is simple: The People’sRepublic of Chinahas never ruledTaiwan. Not for a single day.
Since1949,Taiwanhas operated under the governance of theRepublic of China(ROC), commonly known asTaiwan. The CCP has never controlled its land, its people or its institutions.
And the so-called「Taiwanindependence movement」 thatBeijingrails against? It’s a bogeyman created to justify its own expansionist ambitions.
Taiwan’sgovernment— across all political lines— has consistently upheld thatTaiwanis a fully functioning, self-governing, democratic nation. Taipei doesn’t need to declare independence because it already is an independent state: theRepublic of ChinainTaiwan. With an elected leadership, a thriving economy and a military that will defend its sovereignty,Taiwanis a nation in every meaningful sense, no matter how muchBeijingfumes about it.
The CCP likes to claim that Washington supports its「One-China Principle」 through what are known as「The Three Communiques.」 But that’s just not true. Washington has only ever acknowledged thatChinamakes this claim— it has never agreed with it.
The U.S. position remains firmly rooted in the Taiwan Relations Act and「Six Assurances」 given to Taipei, which explicitly reject any recognition of Chinese sovereignty overTaiwan. These policies also affirm America’s commitment toTaiwan’sdefense.
The message is clear:Taiwan’sfuture must be determined peacefully, through mutual agreement, and without coercion. IfChinatries to takeTaiwanby force, it will be violating international norms and threatening global stability.
To justify its claim,Beijingplays fast and loose with history, pointing to past Chinese dynasties as proof thatTaiwanbelongs toChina. But history doesn’t work that way.
Taiwan’spast rulers have included the Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, and, at times, certain Chinese regimes. If ancient history were the standard for sovereignty,Chinawould have to answer for its own long periods of foreign rule by the Mongols and Manchus.
The modern world defines sovereignty based on international law and self-determination— not cherry-picked historical claims. AndTaiwan’s23 million citizens have made their stance abundantly clear: They reject CCP rule.
Beijingalso contends that its pursuit ofTaiwanis about protectingChina’sterritorial integrity, but its own actions betray this claim. Since1949,Chinahas voluntarily ceded vast swaths of land to other ideologically aligned nations, including communist Russia and Mongolia, without making a fuss.
If territorial unity were really the goal, why didn’tChinafight for those lands? The truth is, the CCP’sTaiwanobsession isn’t about sovereignty.
China’sown diplomatic history is riddled with contradictions. It refuses to acknowledge「OneChina, OneTaiwan,」 yet it had no problem recognizing both East and West Germany. It ignored its impoverished ally North Korea to recognize South Korea in1992. These inconsistencies reveal the CCP’s foreign policy for what it is: sheer opportunism.
At its core,China’saggression toward Taiwan isn’t about national unity— it’s about undermining the U.S. and the global democratic order. The CCP views itself as locked in an ideological battle with the free world, with America as its main adversary.Taiwan, a thriving democracy, a crucial player in global commerce and tech revolution, and a key U.S. partner, stands as a direct challenge toBeijing’sauthoritarian model. That’s why the CCP is so determined to bring it under control.
Time and again, the CCP has deliberately escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait to pressure the U.S. and boost its own global influence.
From the artillery bombardments of Taiwan-controlled islands in the1950s to the1995-96 missile crisis and today’s near-daily military provocations,Chinahas repeatedly tested Washington’s resolve. Each crisis has had the same goal: to undermine U.S. credibility and weaken its commitment toTaiwanand the broader democratic order in Asia.
Today,Chinais still playing the same game— using military intimidation to push the U.S. into a weaker negotiating position. By ramping up tensions aroundTaiwan,Chinahopes to coerce Washington into backing off its support for Taipei and, in turn, weakening its global leadership.
But there’s another more calculated motive:Taiwan’sworld-leading semiconductor industry.Taiwanis home to giants like TSMC, which dominates high-end microchip production— an industry the entire global economy depends on. IfChinaseizes control ofTaiwan, it wouldn’t just be a blow to democracy. It would giveBeijinga stranglehold over a critical technology sector, accelerating its march toward global dominance.
China’saggression isn’t about preserving national unity— it’s about stopping an alternative Chinese identity from thriving beyond the CCP’s control.
Taiwanis living proof that a Chinese society can be free, prosperous, and democratic without the CCP’s iron grip. That’s whyTaiwanmatters—not just to its own people but to the world.
Read inThe Washington Times.
