一九五○年臺灣問題國際化與國民黨政府的因應對策

The Internationalization of the Taiwan Issue and the Kuomintang Government’s Countermeasures in 1950

1949年國民黨政府在內戰中落敗，美國政府不大打算落實開羅宣言的承諾，研議透過聯合國機制解決臺灣問題。1950年6月韓戰爆發，美國總統杜魯門出動第七艦隊保衛臺灣，蘇聯與中共因此在聯合國控訴美國侵略，美國代表團也提出臺灣問題案作為反擊。臺灣問題國際化牽涉了國共內戰、韓戰與東亞冷戰的複雜背景。美國主張由聯合國設立委員會研究臺灣問題，一年後提出最終處置方案，並提出「臺灣人民意願應受尊重」的自決原則打消開羅宣言承諾。美國政府操作此議題也有阻止中共加入韓戰、以聯合國席次引誘中共的意圖。但，10月底中共人民志願軍越過鴨綠江參與韓戰，東亞局勢驟變。中共倒向蘇聯，臺灣地位問題不再具有急迫性，1951年2月此議案遭到擱置。臺灣問題國際化對國民黨政府的主權宣稱構成重大挑戰。但因為依賴美國支持，國民黨政府無法反對美國的主張，在議案中被邊緣化，對外關係上完全居於弱勢。儘管如此，國民黨政府對島內仍具有強大統治能力。國民黨宣傳部門多次下達〈宣傳指示〉，並召集各媒體總編與主筆要求配合。雖然政府當局十分清楚其主張在國際法與國際慣例站不住腳，仍然提出「臺灣主權屬於中國」系統性論述，展開強力宣傳。政府當局對內操作十分成功，臺灣問題國際化不但未構成統治危機，反而轉化為形成中國認同與忠誠的有效動員。

Following the defeat of the Kuomintang in the civil war of 1949, the US changed its mind, becoming reluctant to carry out the promise of the Cairo Declaration and intending to resolve the Taiwan issue through mechanisms of the United Nations. With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, President Truman dispatched the Seventh Fleet to defend Taiwan. At the UN, the Soviet Union and the PRC condemned such as an act of aggression and raised the “Complaint of Armed Invasion of Taiwan”. As a countermeasure, the US delegation put forward the motion of “Question of Formosa”. Internationalization of the Taiwan issue was brought forth against the complex background of the KMT-CCP Civil War, the Korean War and the Cold War in East Asia. The US advocated further investigation of the issue and a final resolution to be proposed a year later. In particular, “the wish of the inhabitants of Formosa” to be taken into account was put forward; and such principle of self-determination might lead to the repudiation of what was stipulated in the Cairo Declaration. Raising the Taiwan issue was a manipulative act of the US and the hidden agenda was to prevent the CCP from joining the Korean War and to entice it with a UN seat. However, the situation in East Asia changed drastically when the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army crossed the Yalu River and got engaged in the Korean War. With the CCP siding with the Soviet Union, settling the issue of Taiwan’s status was no longer urgent. In February 1951, the UK motioned adjournment of the debate, “the Question of Formosa” was thus shelved indefinitely. To the KMT, internationalization of the Taiwan issue posed a rigorous challenge to its claim of Taiwan’s sovereignty. Owing to its dependency on the US support, the KMT could not oppose the US proposition and was marginalized during the debate, falling completely into a disadvantageous position in foreign relations. Nevertheless, the KMT remained the only dominant power on the island. Instructions were issued by the propaganda department and support was demanded from chief editors and writers for a concerted claim on “China has sovereignty over Taiwan”. Even though such claim was untenable under international law and practice, the systematic discourse gained success as an internal operation. Instead of becoming a crisis of governance, internationalization of the Taiwan issue was turned into an effective promotion for greater identification with and loyalty to China.