方恩格專欄》鄭麗文必須扭轉國民黨國際形象

鄭麗文面臨提升她自己與國民黨在臺灣以外地區形象的艱鉅挑戰。（資料照／趙雙傑攝）

筆者經常批評外語媒體以及全球各地「智庫」專家在報導臺灣相關議題時，所出現的錯誤與偏頗。對於最近中國國民黨主席選舉的外媒報導也不例外。

中國國民黨主席選舉結果於18日揭曉，候選人鄭麗文共獲得6萬5122票，以50.15％的得票率當選國民黨主席。

此次選舉由鄭麗文勝出後，路透社將鄭麗文形容爲一位激進人物（firebrand），也許僅僅因爲她敢於直言。然而，「firebrand」這個詞通常帶有負面含義，並不是讚美之詞。臺灣的國安官員經常在希望某些新聞「先在海外曝光、再被國內媒體報導」的情況下，將獨家消息提供給路透社。在臺灣，這種操作被稱爲「出口轉內銷」。最近一次的例子是，路透社於10月9日刊登一篇獨家報導，透露賴清德總統次日在國慶演說中將宣佈打造「臺灣之盾（T-Dome）」防空系統的計劃。

《日經亞洲》則稱鄭麗文爲新貴（upstart）。這個詞通常用來形容新人或缺乏經驗者。然而，鄭麗文從政已有35年，並自2005年加入國民黨以來，曾擔任黨職、立法委員，並在馬英九政府時期擔任政府發言人。這樣的經歷怎麼會是「新貴」？

新加坡《海峽時報》稱鄭麗文爲黑馬（dark horse），意指意外獲勝的人。但在選前幾周，不論媒體或國民黨內部所做的黨員民調，都顯示鄭麗文是領先者。一位被普遍預期當選的人，又怎會是「黑馬」？

在前總統馬英九政府後期，國民黨在國際上的形象受創，主要原因是太陽花學運佔領立法院，阻止與中國簽訂的《海峽兩岸服務貿易協議》生效。此舉使得當時支持該運動的民進黨在國際形象上大幅提升，而國民黨則大爲受損。

從那時開始至今，民進黨及蔡英文政府、其後的賴清德政府，在確保外語媒體對臺灣的報導能與民進黨想表達的訊息一致方面，確實做得令人佩服。

在朱立倫於2021年當選國民黨主席後，筆者曾在本報撰寫了數篇評論，探討國民黨在改善其國際形象方面的成功機會，或是否可能獲得美國共和黨與民主黨，包括川普第一任政府、拜登政府以及川普第二任政府對民進黨的那種支持。

筆者並不認爲賴清德政府已經失去川普政府的信任，即便有些美國評論人士持此觀點。即使川普政府對賴政府有所疑慮，也並不意味着他們支持國民黨在臺灣重新執政。

相關評論文章包括：2021年9月25日發表的〈美國如何看國民黨新任主席〉、2022年4月9日的〈國民黨的爭寵之路〉，以及2022年6月4日的〈朱立倫訪美 沿路鋪了綠地毯〉。

這些早期評論的主要觀點至今仍未改變，同樣適用於新的國民黨主席鄭麗文：如果國民黨新任主席鄭麗文希望獲得美國（或外國媒體與學者）如同民進黨目前所獲得的那種支持，她首先應該確保自己擁有臺灣選民的支持，才足以得到外部勢力的青睞。

如今，鄭麗文面臨艱鉅挑戰──要提升她自己與國民黨在臺灣以外地區的形象。

（作者爲美國共和黨前亞太區主任）

Kuomintang Chairman Election in Foreign Media

By Ross Darrell Feingold

X: @RossFeingold

This author frequently criticizes the errors and biased reporting about Taiwan that appear in foreign language media reports about Taiwan as well as in reports written about Taiwan by "think tank" experts around the world.

Foreign media reports about the recent Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT) chairman election, won by Cheng Li-wun, is no exception.

Reuters described Cheng Li-wun as a firebrand (激進), perhaps simply because she is willing to speak her opinions. This word is typically negative though, and is not a compliment. National security officials in the Taiwan government often provide Reuters with "exclusives" when it wants news to be first reported overseas and then covered by the domestic media. In Taiwan, this is known as export first for domestic consumption after. Most recently Reuters published an exclusive report on October 9 that the next day President William Lai Ching-te in his National Day address would announce plans to build a "T-Dome" air defense system.

Nikkei Asia described Cheng Li-wun as an upstart (新貴). An upstart typically refers to someone who is new or inexperienced. However, Cheng Li-wun's career in politics began 35 years ago, and since 2005 when she joined the Kuomintang she has served as a party official, legislator, and government spokesman during the President Ma Ying-jeou administration. How can she be described as an upstart?

The Singapore Straits Times described Cheng Li-wun as an dark horse (黑馬). A dark horse refers to someone who unexpectedly achieves something, such as winning an election. However, in the weeks before the chairman election, Cheng Li-wun was the leader in polls of KMT party members published by both media and the KMT. How can the expected winner of an election be described as a dark horse?

In the final years of former President Ma Ying-jeou's administration, the KMT image outside Taiwan became damaged after the Sunflower Movement occupied the Legislative Yuan to prevent the implementation of a services trade agreement with China. The global image of the Democratic Progressive Party (which supported the Sunflower Movement) soared, and the global image of the KMT suffered.

From then until today, the Democratic Progressive Party, and the President Tsai Ing-wen administration followed by the President William Lai Ching-te administration, have done an admirable job ensuring that foreign language reports about Taiwan are consistent with the message that the Democratic Progressive Party wants to convey.

After Eric Chu was elected KMT chairman in 2021, this author wrote several commentaries in this newspaper about the KMT’s likelihood of success in improving its international image or obtaining the support that the Democratic Progressive Party has from both Republicans and Democrats in the United States, including the first Trump administration, the Biden administration, and the second Trump administration. This author does not believe that the Lai administration has lost the trust of the Trump administration, even if some American commentators claim so. If the Trump administration has some concerns about the Lai administration, it does not support a return to power in Taiwan by the KMT. These commentaries include “The New Kuomintang Chairman’s Success Does Not Depend on the United States” published on September 25, 2021, “The Democratic Partyization of the Kuomintang?” published on April 9, 2022, and “Flooding the Zone to Spoil Kuomintang Chairman Chu’s US Visit”, published on June 4, 2022.

The key point from those earlier commentaries remains unchanged, and applies to new KMT Chairman Cheng Li-wun too: If new Kuomintang chairman Cheng Li-wun wants the support of the United States (or foreign media and foreign scholars) that the Democratic Progressive Party currently has, she should first ensure she has the support of Taiwan’s voters.

Cheng Li-wun faces a difficult challenge to improve her image, and the KMT’s image, outside Taiwan.