海纳百川》选民不必管葛来仪们怎么说（方恩格）

华府两岸专家葛来仪。（图／中央社）

看过笔者在台湾政论节目或阅读过笔者发表的中英文评论的人都知道，笔者经常强调台湾政治人物、媒体和选民不应过度关注外国「专家」的观点。

那些专家离台湾很远，每年只造访几次，并且往往依赖他们自身的分析，这些分析未必符合台湾的实际情况。

其中许多评论者因为想继续得到台湾政府的资助或是想要进入台湾政府机构（如总统府和外交部）而存在偏见。当国民党总统执政时，其中一些学者会赞扬其政策，而当民进党总统上台时，这些学者同样会赞扬该总统的政策。

在总统大选之前，如果民调显示政党轮替有可能会发生，那么这些学者便会开始把对执政党的赞扬转移到他们认为可能会赢得选举的在野党。这样的情况在马英九总统任期的最后几年中发生，当时明显可以看出在2016年的总统选举中，国民党将会输给民进党。

然而，台湾的政治人物和政党仍持续对某些外国学者或前政府官员抱持着崇敬的态度。

台湾总统府的网站显示蔡英文总统多次与这些外国学者或政要会面。国民党的推特帐号则显示朱立伦主席与外国学者或政要合照，尽管这些人从来不会赞扬国民党或其总统候选人侯友宜。但如果侯友宜赢得了总统选举，他们可能会开始赞扬他！

对外国学者和智库的盲目崇拜并不能帮助这些政治人物赢得选举。这就是为什么笔者一再强调台湾政治人物不需要访问华府与美国政府进行「面试」，包括侯友宜和柯文哲在内。没有必要在华府知名智库发表演讲，也没有必要与华府、纽约或其他地方的学者进行闭门会议。

根据近日媒体报导，国民党总统候选人侯友宜预计在9月时访问华盛顿特区。国民党真的相信，在投票日前4个月，侯友宜该远离台湾、而不在与选民会面更加重要吗？国民党真的相信外国学者或美国政府官员会对侯友宜说什么好话吗？国民党会避免柯文哲在访问华府期间与之后所遇到的相关问题吗？

不管葛来仪说什么，总统和立委谁当选将由台湾选民来决定，而不是由美国或中国政府来决定。更重要地是，这些选举结果当然也不会被外国学者、外国政客或外国媒体所左右。

外国学者、外国政客、外国YouTube自称专家，或外媒应该谨言慎行，不要干涉台湾的选举。

（作者为美国共和党前亚太区主席，翻译：许淳恩）

Taiwan Worships the Foreign Scholars Again

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad

Twitter: @RossFeingold

Those who have seen this author on Taiwan political talk shows or read the commentaries that I have published in English and Mandarin know that I often say Taiwan politicians, media, and voters should not pay so much attention to what foreign "experts" say.

These experts live far away from Taiwan, only visit a few times a year, and often rely on their own analysis which is not necessarily consistent with realities in Taiwan.

Many of these commentators are biased in order to maintain funding from the Taiwan government or access to Taiwan government agencies such as the Presidential Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When there is a Chinese Nationalist Party president, some of these scholars will praise its policies, and when there is a Democratic Progressive Party president, these scholars similarly praise that president’s policies.

If, prior to a presidential election, polls indicate that a switch in political party is likely, the scholars will begin to switch their praise from the current government to the party that they think is likely to win. Such occurred in the final years of Ma Ying-jeou’s presidency when it was obvious that in the 2016 presidential election, the Chinese Nationalist Party would lose the presidency to the Democratic Progressive Party.

Yet Taiwan’s politicians and political parties continue to treat certain foreign scholars or former government officials with godlike admiration.

The Presidential Office website shows President Tsai Ing-wen repeatedly meeting such foreign dignitaries. The English language Twitter account of the Chinese Nationalist Party shows Chairman Eric Chu taking photos with foreign dignitaries, even though none of them will ever praise the Chinese Nationalist Party or its presidential candidate Hou You-yi (though they might start to praise Hou if he wins the presidential election).

The silly godlike admiration for foreign scholars and foreign think tanks does not help these politicians win elections. That is why this author has repeatedly said that Taiwan politicians do not need to visit Washington DC to “interview” with the United States government, including Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je. There is no need to make a speech at prominent think tanks in Washington DC, and there is no need to have closed door meetings with scholars in Washington DC, New York City, or elsewhere.

In recent days media reports say that Chinese Nationalist Party presidential candidate Hou You-ih plans to visit Washington DC in September. Does the Chinese Nationalist Party really believe that four months before voting day, it is more important for Hou to be away from Taiwan and not meeting voters in Taiwan? Does the Chinese Nationalist Party really believe that foreign scholars or United States government officials will say nice things about Hou? Does the Chinese Nationalist Party will avoid the issues that Ko Wen-je encountered during and after his visit to Washington DC?

This author hopes that the latest controversy over what Bonnie Glaser said is a reminder that the winners of the current presidential and legislative election campaign is to be decided by the voters and people of Taiwan. It is not an election to be decided by the US government or the China government. It certainly is not decided by foreign scholars, foreign politicians, or foreign media.

Foreign scholars, politicians, YouTube self-proclaimed experts on Taiwan, and media should also carefully chose their words, and not interfere in Taiwan’s election.