「世界正在注視臺灣」 美國南卡大學刊文介紹最年輕的國民黨主席

江的母校美國南卡羅來納大學,日前以專刊介紹他。(摘自南卡大學網站

國民黨主席江啓臣今年2月獲《時代》評選爲「次世代百大人物」,江的母校美國南卡羅來納大學,日前以專刊介紹他,江細數國民黨在歷史上領導臺灣度過各類危機、造就經濟奇蹟、以及推動民主化經歷,宣示只要努力,總有一天會重返執政,再次繼續爲民服務。

江啓臣在美國南卡羅來納大學攻讀國際關係博士,日前該校特地專訪江啓臣,前天將訪談內容刊登在母校網站,介紹江啓臣在國民黨歷經2016、2020敗選後,投入補選帶領國民黨這一年來,他認爲,國民黨需要一個新的品牌與年輕的面貌,來取得臺灣人民信任與重返執政。

江啓臣也談到國民黨在兩岸論述的着力點,國民黨長期以來支持「一中原則」,但這觀點已失去光澤,因此「一中」的議題沉靜下來,去年江啓臣和國民黨替香港發聲,而江也公開向北京當局喊話,「一國兩制在臺灣沒有市場」。

全文如下:

南卡大學校刊專訪主席簡略翻譯草稿

The world is watching Taiwan. And because of that, the world is watching Johnny Chiang, a University of South Carolina graduate trying to remake Asia’s oldest political party.

世界正在注視臺灣,正因如此,世界也在注視江啓臣,一位正在努力改造亞洲最古老政黨的南卡大學畢業生

Johnny Chiang is walking a tightrope, according to Time Magazine.

The University of South Carolina graduate became chairman of Taiwans oldest political party, the Kuomintang, in 2020, not long after the party suffered a crushing electoral defeat. His term has been marked by rising tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. Since September, China has flown hundreds of warplanes in Taiwan’s airspace.

南卡羅來納大學畢業生變成臺灣最老政黨的主席。2020年江成爲主席後不久,他的任期涵蓋了兩岸緊張情勢升溫的局勢,自從去年9月以來,中共已經有以數百架次的戰機侵擾臺灣空域

In February, Time named Chiang to its 2021 Time100 NEXT list of emerging leaders and described Chiang’s challenge. On the one hand, his party’s friendliness with Beijing is unpopular with younger Taiwanese. Yet China’s military might poses a threat to the island nation.

江主席在二月獲選了時代雜誌百大未來領導人,雜誌也簡短敘述了主席目前面臨的挑戰。一方面,國民黨對大陸的友善態度不受臺灣年輕人的歡迎,但大陸的軍事力量對臺灣造成了威脅。

According to Time, “Regional stability may rely on the ability of Chiang — a U.S.-trained former academic and economist — to navigate this tightrope while quelling populist voices within his own ranks.”

根據時代雜誌的敘述,此區域的穩定也許有賴於江主席的領導,身爲一位有留美背景的經濟學者,他要警慎地引導這個黨也需要平息黨內的民粹勢力。

That’s a delicate balancing act.

這是個微妙的平衡操作。

But it’s one Chiang has trained for in his studies and his government service.

但這是江一直以來在學校以及政府訓練的操作。

After studying diplomacy and international relations for his undergraduate and master’s degrees, Chiang came to South Carolina for his doctoral degree because of a dynamic international relations program and friendly relationships between the university and Taiwan.

在修得國際關係學士碩士之後,江看中南卡大學活躍的國際關係學程以及本校與臺灣的友好關係,遠赴此地攻讀博士。

“My training and experience there have proven very essential to my subsequent success in international relations research, as a legislator specialized in public affairs, or even now as a political party leader,” Chiang says.

我在南卡的學術訓練及經歷已被證明在我後來的國際關係研究、專處在公共政策立法委員、以及現在擔當政黨領導人都非常關鍵

He finished his Ph.D. in 2002. Then Chiang taught at Soochow University and worked in the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. He was leading Taiwan’s Government Information Office in 2011 when his party asked him to return to his hometown, Taichung, to run for the legislature.

江在2002年從本校取得博士學歷,爾後至東吳大學教書,也在臺灣經濟研究院工作過。2011年在他擔任政府新聞局局長時,國民黨請他回到他的故鄉臺中參與立法委員選舉。

The opportunity to serve appealed to him.

“Thats the place I grew up and was raised in. I wanted to have a chance to provide service or to devote myself to my hometown," Chiang says. “That became the driving motivation for me to participate in the election."

主席說:「這是我長大的地方,我想要有一個機會來爲我的家鄉服務奉獻,這是驅使我參與競選立委的主要動力。」

He won election in 2012 and again in 2016. But in that latter year, the Kuomintang lost the presidency to the Democratic Progressive Party. After another sound defeat, the Kuomintang chairman resigned in January 2020.

江主席贏得2012以及2016的立委選舉,但是2016年國民黨在總統大選敗給民進黨,在2020總統大選再度敗給民進黨後,當時的主席引咎辭職。

The Kuomintang vowed on Twitter, “The party will keep moving forward, with the aim of achieving a rebirth.” The promised rebirth became Chiang’s responsibility when he was elected party chairman two months later.

國民黨當時在推特上發誓會「持續前進,改造重生」,這誓言在江兩個月後成爲主席後成了他的重責大任。

Chiang has worked to remake the party’s image through online communications, stronger connections with overseas democratic allies and outreach to younger people in Taiwan.

江主席在網絡層面、增強與海外民主友人的連結、以及積極接觸年輕人的方面努力重塑國民黨的形象。

“Our party needs a new brand, a younger face, for the party to win back the support and the trust from the people in Taiwan,” says Chiang. At 48, he is the youngest ever leader of the Kuomintang.

48歲,國民黨最年輕的主席表示:「我們的黨需要一個新的品牌以及年輕的面貌來取得臺灣人民的信任與重返執政。」

The party’s tenets are getting a makeover, too. The Kuomintang has long supported a “one China” philosophy that views Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) and the mainland (People’s Republic of China) as part of the same country. The idea has lost luster in Taiwan, but just a few days before the 2020 election, the Kuomintang was defending that position on Twitter.

黨的信條(tenets)也在經歷一個變更,國民黨長期以來支持「ㄧ中原則」的論述,認爲在臺灣的中華民國以及大陸的中華人民共和國同屬一中。但此觀點已經失去了光澤,但在2020總統大選前夕,國民黨還是在推特上持續支持這個論點

The Kuomintang has since become quieter on the issue, and Chiang and the party itself spoke up in favor of Hong Kong during 2020 protests.

Beijing’s “one country, two systems” policy has “no market” in Taiwan, he told Reuters.

但之後國民黨對於「一中」的議題沈靜下來,江與黨也聲援了香港2020年的抗議

江也對路透社說:「北京的一國兩制政策在臺灣沒市場」。

His background in government affairs and international relations has given him a strong foundation, Chiang says, but just as important are the soft skills he refined at South Carolina. He says knowing how to think critically and independently, conduct research and solve problems is vital.

江在政府事務以及國際關係的背景給了他堅固的(領導)基礎,但江也說:「南卡給我的軟實力,列如獨立性格、批判性思維、研究技巧問題解決能力等也是關鍵。」

“You have to ask yourself a good question,” he says. “Asking good questions sometimes is even more important than solving the questions. You have to know what is the real problem, what is the real question. I think that really helped me a lot, in terms of thinking about progress, thinking about the challenges I face, in different periods of my career."

「你必須問自己一個好的問題,問一個好的問題有時候比解決問題還重要。你必須知道最關鍵的難題爲何,問對問題在我面對職業生涯上不同的階段與挑戰上有極大的幫助。」

Speaking of good questions, what is the future of the Kuomintang?

Chiang, who is running for reelection as Kuomintang chairman, answers that by talking about the party’s strong history of leadership in Taiwan, which has included handling numerous crises, transitioning to democracy and making “an economic miracle.”

“With such fruitful experience and knowledge, as long as we are working hard, eventually we will come back,” says Chiang. “We will come back to government to provide a service for our people again.”

說到一個好問題,國民黨的未來爲何?

正在競選連任的江主席回覆,細數國民黨在歷史上領導臺灣度過各類危機、造就經濟奇蹟、以及推動民主化的經歷。

「有這些豐富的知識與經驗,只要我們努力,總有一天會重返執政,再次繼續爲民服務。」