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Taiwan question and Ukraine issue: not the same thing

台湾问题和乌克兰问题没有可比性

来源:China Military Online 责任编辑:Li Jiayao
2022-05-17 18:41:36

胡文利

By Hu Wenli

随着俄乌冲突陷入胶着状态,一些别有用心的人开始把矛头引向中国。

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict comes to a stalemate, some people with ulterior motives begin to turn their eyes to China.

美国方面,3月,拜登总统派跨党代表团窜访台湾,前参谋长联席会议主席穆伦提及乌克兰局势,并向民进党当局表达“美国对合作伙伴的坚定支持”;台湾地区方面,民进党当局多次表示对乌克兰的“力挺”和对台海局势的“担忧”。一个“以台制华”,一个“倚美谋独”,美台各怀鬼胎,共同炮制“今日乌克兰,明日台湾”的谬论。

In March, the Biden administration sent an inter-party delegation to Taiwan island, where the one-time Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen expressed to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities the America's support. In the meantime, the DPP vowed its "support" for Ukraine and "concerns" over the Taiwan Strait situation multiple times. It's clear that Washington wanted to contain China through Taiwan while Taiwan dreamed of seeking independence with Uncle Sam's backing, and they jointly came up with the fallacy that what happens in Ukraine today will happen to Taiwan tomorrow, while each harboring its own calculations.

正如中国外交部副部长乐玉成所言,台湾问题与乌克兰问题没有任何可比性。有人在谈到乌克兰问题的时候强调要尊重主权和领土完整,但在台湾问题上却公然踩踏“一个中国”的红线,这是彻头彻尾的双标。

As China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said, there is no comparison between the Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue. Some people emphasize the respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but blatantly trample upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity by crossing the "One China" line when it comes to the Taiwan question. That's an outright double standard.

台湾问题和乌克兰问题的区别在哪里

What are the differences between the Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue?

台湾问题和乌克兰问题,无论在历史渊源还是国际法法理上,都无法相提并论。

The two cannot be mentioned in the same breath either from a historical perspective or in terms of international law.

与形成今日乌克兰的漫长而复杂历史截然不同的是,台湾自古就是中国领土的一部分,其疆域和文化始终一脉相承。从12世纪开始,中国各朝代政府在台湾先后建立行政机构,行使管辖权。台湾社会发展也一直延续中华文化传统,即便在甲午战争后的日本殖民期间也是如此。1945年抗战胜利后,中国政府重新恢复了台湾省的行政机构;1949年国民党当局“退据”台湾,造成台湾与祖国的暂时隔离,但统一始终是两岸人心之所向。

There is a long and complicated history through which Ukraine has become what it is today. Unlike that, Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times, with a consistent territory and cultural tradition. Starting from the 12th century, Chinese dynasties had successively set up administrative organizations in Taiwan to exercise jurisdiction, and the local society had carried on the traditional Chinese culture, which wasn't even disrupted or shattered during Japan's colonial rule after the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). When China won the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1945, the Chinese government resumed administrative organization in Taiwan Province. Even though the KMT forces' retreat to the island in 1949 separated it from the motherland for a while, reunification across the Taiwan Straits has always been the common wish of people living on both sides.

从国际法法理看,乌克兰是一个主权国家,这一事实得到了包括联合国在内的国际社会的普遍认可。联合国官网记载,乌克兰是联合国创始会员国之一。截至2019年12月,共有183个国家与乌克兰建立正式外交关系,包括中国。俄罗斯亦承认乌克兰的主权,1991年苏联解体后双方建交,直至今年2月俄乌战争爆发后断交。

As far as international law is concerned, Ukraine is a sovereign state – this is a fact universally acknowledged by the international community, including the UN, on whose official website Ukraine is recorded as one of the founding members. As of December 2019, the country had established diplomatic relations with 183 countries, including China. Its sovereignty is recognized by Russia as the two sides established diplomatic ties in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, but that broke off as the war broke out between them in February this year.

反观台湾,自始至终都是中国的行省,并不具有主权国家地位。1971年之前,在外部势力干涉下,中国在联合国的席位被“中华民国”政府占据。随着新中国国力提升,中华人民共和国的国际影响力也越来越大。1971年10月25日,阿尔巴尼亚、阿尔及利亚等23国在联合国大会发起“两阿提案”,要求“恢复中华人民共和国在联合国的一切合法权利,立即把蒋介石集团的代表从联合国一切机构中驱逐出去”,联大以76票赞成、35票反对、17票弃权的压倒性多数通过了提案。

In contrast, Taiwan has always been a Chinese province and has never been a sovereign state. Due to the interference of external forces, China's seat at the UN was occupied by the "Republic of China" before 1971. But as the People's Republic of China grew stronger with greater international influence, on October 25, 1971, 23 countries, including Albania and Algeria, filed a motion to the UN General Assembly to restore all the lawful rights of the PRC in the United Nations and immediately expel the representatives of the Chiang Kai-shek clique from the United Nations and all its affiliated agencies. The motion proceeded to pass with an overwhelming majority of votes (76 votes for, 35 votes against and 17 abstentions).

这历史性的一刻,奠定了中华人民共和国的国际地位。从此以后,“一个中国”成为国际社会公认的原则,即:世界上只有一个中国,台湾是中国的一部分,中华人民共和国是代表全中国的唯一合法政府。“一中原则”具有不可动摇的事实和法理基础;各国与中国建立或恢复外交关系,无不以承认“一中原则”为前提。

This historical moment established China in a new international position. From then on, the international community recognized the "One China" principle, which means that there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and the PRC is the only legitimate government representing the whole China. The "One China" principle is built on an unshakable and indisputable factual and legal basis. All countries have established or resumed diplomatic relations with China on the premise of recognizing this principle.

在美国棋盘上位置不同的两枚“棋子”

Two chess pieces at different places on America's chessboard

国际上有些人为什么要将乌克兰问题与台湾问题扯到一起?中国社会科学院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所乌克兰室主任研究员赵会荣认为,将乌克兰问题与台湾问题生硬联系起来,一是试图提升台湾的政治地位和国际影响,给外界造成“台湾也是主权国家”的错觉;二是试图以此干涉中国内政,推动将中国国内问题国际化,企图打乱中国实现统一的节奏;三是图谋恶化中国的发展环境,为美国继续推行霸权扫清障碍。

Why are some people so eager to bring together the Ukraine issue and the Taiwan question? According to Zhao Huirong, a researcher at and the director of Research Office of Ukraine Studies of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, there may be three reasons. First, they want to elevate Taiwan's political position and international influence, and create the misperception that "Taiwan is also a sovereign state". Second, they want to meddle in China's internal affairs and internationalize its domestic issues with the goal of disrupting its pace of national reunification. Third, they attempt to deteriorate the development environment for China and clear the way for America to continue pushing its hegemony.

台湾问题和乌克兰问题不能相提并论,但如果非得说台湾和乌克兰有什么相似之处,那就是都是美国的“棋子”。对美国而言,乌克兰和台湾都是“棋子”,只是在棋盘上的位置不一样。《地缘政治:从冷战到21世纪》一书的作者弗朗西斯·塞姆帕认为,乌克兰是美国应对俄罗斯、制衡欧洲的工具,台湾则是美国在西太平洋“第一岛链”中的战略要地、用于遏制中国崛起的工具。

It is wrong to make a comparison between the Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue in any aspect, but they do have something in common – both are chess pieces on America's chessboard, but at different places. Francis Sempa, author of Geopolitics: From the Cold War to the 21st Century, analyzed that Ukraine is just a tool used by the US to contain Russia and balance Europe, whereas Taiwan is a strategic position on the "first island chain" in the West Pacific that the US can use to curb China's rise.

不过,一旦触及美国的核心利益,“棋子”难免沦为“弃子”。俄乌战争爆发之前,北约对乌克兰加入该组织的申请迟迟无动于衷。战争爆发后拜登曾多次表示,不会向乌克兰派遣一兵一卒。在持续谴责俄罗斯“破坏和平”的同时,美国和北约却源源不断地向乌克兰输送武器。

But chess pieces may easily be abandoned whenever America's core interests come into play. Before the Russia-Ukraine War broke out, NATO snubbed Kyiv's application to join; after the war broke out, Biden repeatedly declared his decision not to send a single soldier to Ukraine. While both America and NATO kept denouncing Russia for destroying peace, they themselves have been sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine.

在观察人士看来,跟乌克兰一样,一旦在美国的评估中影响到美国的核心利益,台湾这枚“棋子”也难逃成为“弃子”的命运。

In the eyes of observers, as far as America is concerned, Taiwan is just as easily dispensable as Ukraine whenever its own core interests are on the line.

Editor's note: This article is originally published on the youth.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.