新聞解析：何謂「台灣獨立」？台灣是否已經獨立？

台北，9月25日（路透社）——中國國家主席習近平週四告訴美國總統唐納・川普，他希望美國堅持反對台灣獨立的「正確立場」，並表示中國對「統一」的立場十分明確。TAIPEI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - China's Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump on Thursday that he hoped the US will adhere to the "correct position" of opposing Taiwan independence, and that the Chinese stance on "reunification" is clear-cut.

以下以問答形式說明「台灣獨立」一詞的意涵，以及中國、美國與台灣政府的立場。Below are some questions and answers about what is meant by the term "Taiwan independence" and the positions of the Chinese, US and Taiwanese governments.

台灣的歷史與現今正式名稱為何？WHAT IS TAIWAN'S HISTORY AND FORMAL NAME TODAY?

清朝於1684年將台灣納入福建省，直到1885年才宣布台灣為單獨的中國省分。The Qing dynasty incorporated Taiwan as part of Fujian province in 1684 and only declared it a separate Chinese province in 1885.

清朝在對日戰爭中戰敗後，台灣於1895年成為日本殖民地。1945年，第二次世界大戰結束時，台灣交由中華民國政府接收。Following the Qing's defeat in a war with Japan, it became a Japanese colony in 1895. In 1945, it was handed over to the Republic of China government at the end of World War Two.

1949年，在毛澤東領導的共產黨軍隊擊敗後，中華民國政府撤退並將首都遷至台灣；中華民國至今仍是台灣的正式名稱。In 1949 after being defeated by Mao Zedong's Communist forces, the Republic of China government fled and moved its capital to Taiwan, and Republic of China remains the island's formal name.

毛澤東建立中華人民共和國，並宣稱其作為中華民國的繼承國，是包括台灣在內全中國唯一合法的中國政府。Mao set up the People's Republic of China, and claimed it was the only legitimate Chinese government for the whole of China, including Taiwan, as the Republic of China's successor state.

台灣的國際地位與中國立場為何？WHAT IS TAIWAN'S INTERNATIONAL STATUS AND CHINA'S POSITION?

數十年來，位於台北的中華民國也曾宣稱自己是合法的中國政府，但1971年，北京取代台北取得聯合國的中國席次。For decades, the Republic of China in Taipei also claimed to be the legitimate Chinese government, but in 1971 Beijing took over the China seat at the United Nations from Taipei.

多數主要西方國家與美國盟友承認中華民國護照，並在彼此首都設有實質大使館，藉此與台灣維持密切的非官方關係。Most major Western countries and US allies maintain close unofficial ties with Taiwan by recognising the Republic of China passport and having de facto embassies in each other's capitals.

中國表示，不會放棄使用武力使台灣置於其控制之下。北京曾向台灣提出類似香港的「一國兩制」模式，承諾給予香港高度自治，但台灣沒有主要政黨支持這一模式。China says it will not renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Beijing has offered Taiwan a "one country, two systems" model similar to Hong Kong, which promised the city a high degree of autonomy, although no major political party in Taiwan supports that.

美國立場為何？WHAT IS THE US POSITION?

美國若在涉台官方用語上作出任何改變，都將顛覆共和黨與民主黨總統數十年來確立的政策。Any change in official US wording on Taiwan would upend decades of policy set by both Republican and Democratic presidents.

美國於1979年與台北斷絕官方關係，轉而承認北京，但依《台灣關係法》有義務向台灣提供自我防衛的手段。在華府的「一個中國」政策下，美國官方對台灣主權不採取立場。The US severed official ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 1979 but is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with the means to defend itself. The US officially takes no position on Taiwan's sovereignty under Washington's "One China" policy.

2022年，美國國務院也加入關於「六項保證」的措辭，指的是雷根時期對台灣作出的六項安全保證；美國於2020年將其解密。In 2022, the State Department also added wording on the Six Assurances, referring to six Reagan-era security assurances given to Taiwan, which the United States declassified in 2020.

在1982年作出、但此前從未正式公開的保證中，包括美國未訂定停止對台軍售的日期，也未同意在此類軍售前事先諮詢北京，或修改支撐美國對台政策的《台灣關係法》。Among the assurances made in 1982, but never previously formally made public, are statements that the US has not set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan, nor agreed to prior consultation with Beijing on such sales, or to revise the Taiwan Relations Act that underpins US policy towards the island.

中國一再要求美國停止對台軍售。China has repeatedly demanded that the US end arms sales to Taiwan.

川普5月在北京會見習近平後表示，他仍在考慮是否推進新的武器銷售，並稱美國「不希望有人說，『我們來獨立吧，因為美國支持我們』」。In May after meeting Xi in Beijing, Trump said he was still considering whether to go ahead with new weapons sales and that the US was "not looking to have somebody say, 'Let's go independent because the United States is backing us'."

美國於1979年終止與台灣的正式防衛同盟，此後對於若北京攻擊台灣，美國是否會協防台北，一直採取「戰略模糊」政策。The US ended its formal defence alliance with Taiwan in 1979 and has since then had a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would come to Taipei's defence should Beijing attack.

台灣是否已經是獨立國家？IS TAIWAN ALREADY AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY?

台灣人民自行選出領導人，政府控制明確範圍的領土，並擁有自己的軍隊、護照與貨幣；即使未獲多數國家正式承認，台灣仍享有事實上的獨立。Taiwan, whose people elect their own leaders and whose government controls a defined area of territory with its own military, passport and currency, enjoys de facto independence even if that is not formally recognised by most countries.

台灣政府表示，中華民國是主權國家；中華人民共和國對台灣如何選擇領導人沒有發言權，且從未統治過台灣，因此北京無權為台灣發言或代表台灣。Taiwan's government says the Republic of China is a sovereign state and that Beijing has no right to speak for or represent it given the People's Republic of China has no say in how it chooses its leaders and has never ruled Taiwan.

台北是否可能宣布成立「台灣共和國」？COULD TAIPEI DECLARE A "REPUBLIC OF TAIWAN"?

這將非常困難，且需要國會通過憲法修正案，再經由公民投票，而不是由總統賴清德單純宣布即可。It would be very difficult and require parliamentary approval of a constitutional amendment and then a referendum, rather than a simple declaration by President Lai Ching-te.

至少75%的立法委員必須通過該修正案，而目前執政的民主進步黨與主要在野黨中國國民黨（KMT）席次相同。At least 75% of lawmakers would need to pass that amendment, and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) currently have an equal number of seats.

自2016年執政以來，民進黨並未嘗試修改憲法。國民黨則強烈反對任何改變「中華民國」名稱的嘗試。The DPP, which has been in power since 2016, has not made an attempt to change the constitution. The KMT strongly opposes any attempts to change the name Republic of China.

台灣總統對獨立有何說法？WHAT DOES TAIWAN'S PRESIDENT SAY ABOUT INDEPENDENCE?

中國厭惡賴清德，並稱他是「分裂分子」。賴清德當選總統前，曾發表自己是「務實台獨工作者」的說法。賴清德主張，他的意思只是台灣已經是獨立國家。China detests Lai and calls him a "separatist". Before Lai was elected president he made comments about being a "practical worker for Taiwan independence". Lai maintains he simply meant Taiwan is already an independent country.

（班・布蘭查德報導；麥可・佩里編輯）(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)