台湾领导人陈水扁二十八号结束中美洲的访问，过境美国阿拉斯加返回台湾，这次美国限制陈水扁在阿拉斯加过境活动，被认为是美国表现对陈水扁推动公投的不满，周一美国国务院负责中国事务和台海问题的第一副国务卿内格罗蓬特，接受凤凰卫视独家专访时更进一步指出，推动以台湾名义加入联合国的公投是一项错误，美国将此举视为台湾宣布独立的一步。以下是采访内容：

问（凤凰卫视记者莫乃倩）：副国务卿先生，谢谢你今天向凤凰卫视评论台湾最近的一些政治发展。六月时，美国国务院就指出，美国反对台湾举行是否以台湾名义申请加入联合国的公民投票，美国并且要求陈水扁拒绝这样的公投提案。然而，陈水扁表示，他和他的政党将不顾美国的不满，继续推动公投。那么现在美国会怎么做，以确保台海的和平与稳定不会被进一步影响？

答（美国第一副国务卿内格罗蓬特）：我首先要说，台湾没有比美国更好的朋友了。 我们强烈支持台湾的民主，我们支持台湾的经济，我们对台湾蓬勃发展的经济印象深刻，另外正如你所知的，我们依据台湾关系法，致力于台湾的防卫。所以当我们讨论台湾的情况，我们要在良好友谊的框架内讨论。但对于是否以台湾名义加入联合国的公投问题，我们确实有很大的关切。 我们反对这类公投的概念，因为我们将此举视为台湾宣布独立的一步， 也朝向改变台海现状。我记得陈水扁在过去对美国总统，对国际社会以及对台湾人民都做过承诺，不会采取任何代表单方面改变现状的举措， 例如不会改变台湾的正式名称。

问：如果台湾继续推动公投，会有什么后果？ 美国是否会降级与台湾的经济或军事合作？

答：我不想现在这个时候做假设性的讨论，但我想强调很重要的一点是台湾方面应该避免任何挑衅的举措，我相信推动这类的公投，正如我刚才所说，可能会被解读为迈向宣布独立的一步， 我们认为这对于台湾当局追求自身利益并没有建设性。

Interview By Naichian Mo of Phoenix TV

John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State

Washington, DC
August 27, 2007

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for speaking today with Phoenix Television regarding the latest political developments in Taiwan. In June, the State Department indicated that the U.S. opposes Taiwan holding a referendum on whether to apply for membership in the UN under the name of Taiwan, and called for President Chen to reject such a referendum.

However, President Chen has announced that he and his party will continue to push for the referendum. So what would the U.S. do now to make sure that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait will not be further disturbed?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Let me first say that Taiwan has no better friend than the United States. We strongly support Taiwan's democracy. We support their economy. We're very impressed by their vibrant economy. And we're also, as you know, committed to the defense of Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act.

So when we talk about the situation in regard to Taiwan, we talk about Taiwan in the context of a great friendship. But when it comes to this issue of a referendum as to whether or not Taiwan join the United Nations in the name of Taiwan, we do have great concerns. We oppose the notion of that kind of a referendum because we see that as a step towards the declaration -- towards a declaration of independence of Taiwan, towards an alteration of the status quo.

And I would recall that in the past President Chen has made commitments to the American President, to the international community, and to the people of Taiwan not to take any kind of steps that would represent a unilateral alteration of the status quo, such as a change in the official name of Taiwan.

QUESTION: And what would be the consequences for Taiwan if it continues to push for the referendum? Will the U.S. downgrade its economic or military cooperation with Taiwan?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well, I don't -- I wouldn't want to get into that kind of a hypothetical discussion at this particular time. But what I would like to emphasize is that we believe it's important to avoid any kind of provocative steps on the part of Taiwan. And we believe that pursuing a referendum of this kind could, as I said earlier, be interpreted as a step towards a declaration of independence, and we do not believe that that would be a constructive way on the part of the Taiwan authorities to pursue their interests.

QUESTION: You mentioned that the U.S. is committed to defend Taiwan, but Senator Warner mentioned once in a hearing that if the conflicts across the Taiwan Strait were precipitated by the wrong policy of Taiwan's officials, then the U.S. may not use full force to defend Taiwan. What's the U.S. view?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well, these are the kinds of questions -- they're hypothetical questions that are very difficult to address before a specific situation might arise. You're correct in saying we're very committed to the defense of Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act. We wish the peoples and authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to pursue their objectives through peaceful means. And it's this kind of spirit that we're encouraging the authorities of Taiwan to adopt as they address this question of a referendum -- which, as I said earlier, we consider to be a mistake.

QUESTION: Thank you. My last follow-up: Some people argue that Taiwan is actually declaring independence in slow motion, and the U.S. stated that it does not support Taiwan independence. But Taiwan is a democracy. How can -- how much can the U.S. do to stop or reverse Taiwan's slow drift toward independence? Does it concern you that Taiwan's domestic politics is sliding out of the U.S. hands?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: We feel that this is a time for the authorities in Taiwan to behave in a responsible manner, to behave in a way that would advance the interests of Taiwan while, at the same time, not disturbing the situation across the Taiwan Strait. So I think there's a way of doing that, of pursuing their democracy, pursuing their vibrant economy, benefiting from the friendship, the strong friendship of a country such as the United States -- and we are certainly committed to continuing that. But we believe that it has to be done in a serious and responsible way.

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Thank you.

QUESTION: Appreciate that.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Appreciate the opportunity.

QUESTION: Thank you.
 
Released on August 27, 2007

美再度反台入联公投　苏起：算计後才出手

（中央社记者黄名玺台北二十八日电）国民党籍立委苏起今天说，美国副国务卿尼格罗庞提明确反对台湾推动以台湾名义申请加入联合国的公民投票，代表美国经「算计後才出手」，预留更高层级说重话的空间。党籍立委蒋孝严认为，美国此举一併警告总统陈水扁与台湾中南美洲友邦。

尼格罗庞提表示，美国是台湾最好的朋友，美国依据台湾关係法对台湾防卫有承诺。但他强调，美国反对台湾推动以台湾名义申请加入联合国的公民投票，因为美国认为这个公投是「朝向宣布台湾独立的一个步骤」。

曾任行政院大陆委员会主任委员的苏起（不分区）表示，美国发言隐含四个意义。首先，结束对台湾的私下劝告，走向公开警告；其次，选择发言的管道找上凤凰卫视，代表对民主进步党政府的失望，转向直接诉诸两岸人民。

苏起指出，第叁个意义是，选在八月底公开说明美国立场，距离联合国开会还有二到叁週，这段时间给民进党政府缓衝，去说服党内深绿台独人士；第四，层级由副国务卿出面喊话，若台湾仍执意推动入联，预留下一步由国务卿出面说重话、下重手的空间。

苏起认为，尼格罗庞提的发言内容，甚至透露一项伏笔，即台湾推动入联是改变现状，走向台独的一步，若中国以此为由攻台，可视为台湾单方挑釁，届时美国不会出兵。

曾任外交部长的蒋孝严（台北市）说，美国今天的发言是很严肃的警告，因为美国认为台湾推动以台湾名义入联是一项错误，这也代表错误的後面有严重後果，只是美国没说。

蒋孝严表示，陈总统积极推动以台湾名义入联，甚至连出访到中南美洲友邦都在谈入联公报，美国被逼得不得不表态，发言不仅警告陈总统，也一併警告了支持台湾入联的中南美洲友邦，「而且美国一定还有後续」。