《中华人民共和国和美利坚合众国关于建立外交关系的联合公报》(英語:Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations),简称中美建交公报,於1978年12月16日發表[註 1][1][2][3],宣佈美国与中华人民共和国之间自1979年1月1日起建立正式的外交关系,同時雙方還決定1979年3月1日起互派大使并建立大使館[4]。此外,该聯合公报还重申了1971年雙方簽署的《上海公报》中的各項原則。
The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.[1]
1999年3月11日,美國國務院最後一任中華民國科科長費浩偉在接受卡爾·愛德華·迪勒里(英语:Carl Edward Dillery)的访问中谈到,當時美國駐北京聯絡處副主任芮效儉完全了解中方譯成「承認」的含義,理應提出異議,但他認為芮效儉急於中美關係正常化,因此保持沈默。随着时间的流逝,甚至包括现在在内的各政府部门的发言人也误解了“认知”(acknowledge)一词。克林顿政府不时表示,美国“接受”(accepted)了中国关于台湾是中国一部分的观点。实际上,正式而言,美国从未“接受”中国的观点。我们只是“认知”它。[11]
2014年10月10日,國會研究處亚洲安全事务专员Shirley A. Kan在发表的报告中称,在签署《聯合公报》前,美国政府发现中文版中「acknowledge」的翻译从上海公报「认识」变更为「承认」,1979年2月,参议员雅各布·贾维茨(英语:Jacob Javits)在关于《臺灣關係法》的辩论中指出了这一点,并说“我们对于(中华人民共和国在一个中国的立场)的两种不同称谓都不采用是非常重要的。”美国副国务卿沃伦·克里斯托弗回应说,“我们认为具有约束力的文本是英文文本。我们认为“acknowledge”一词对美国来说是决定性的。[18]」翻译稿在1983年美国政府出版的参议院记录中也出现了影印页[6]。
2018年11月16日,哈佛大學費正清中心台灣研究小組召集人戈迪溫(Steven M. Goldstein)在就臺灣關係法的歷史背景及意涵發表演講时称,他在美中之間的三個公報之中,美國僅「認知」(acknowledge)中國認為只有一個中國且台灣是中國的一部份的立場。戈迪溫強調,美國僅是「認知」,但非「承認」,認知並不表示「承認與接受」,但中國將美國所用的「認知」一詞,中譯為「承認」,並以此混淆視聽。[23]
根據《韦氏词典》,acknowledge的語源來自ac-(in acknow "to confess knowledge of,")+ knowledge,意為「表示知道」。用於法律上,意義包括"to make known to a sender or giver the receipt of (what has been sent or given) or the fact of (one's having received what has been sent or given)",如
"acknowledge receipt of a letter"。[44]例如在網際網路協定中廣泛使用的傳輸控制協定(Transmission Control Protocol,TCP),接收端就用確認訊息(acknowledgement)來通知發送端己經成功收到的位元組流的序號,以此確保傳輸位元組流的可靠性。[45]而NORM(英语:NACK-Oriented Reliable Multicast)多播网络传输协议則用否定应答(negative acknowledgement)來通知發送端接收有問題,需要重送。[46]
在剑桥词典[47][48]、科林斯高级英语词典[49][50]、麦克米伦词典[51][52]、朗文当代英语词典中[53][54]、韦伯斯特学习词典[55][56]中,acknowledge和recognize多共用一个解释:接受(accept)、承认(admit)、发现(aware)或不否认(do not deny)某人或某物的真实性或存在性。
^Shanghai Communiqué. 维基文库(英文). The US side declared: The United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China.
^ 11.011.111.2Interview with Harvey Feldman (PDF). The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. Foreign Affairs Oral History Project. 2001: 69–70 [2020-08-02]. (原始内容存档(PDF)于2019-04-24).
^ 15.015.1What Is the U.S. “One China” Policy, and Why Does it Matter? (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆), Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2017-01-13, "The United States did not, however, give in to Chinese demands that it recognize Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan......Instead, Washington acknowledged the Chinese position that Taiwan was part of China. For geopolitical reasons, both the United States and the PRC were willing to go forward with diplomatic recognition despite their differences on this matter. When China attempted to change the Chinese text from the original acknowledge to recognize, Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher told a Senate hearing questioner, “[W]e regard the English text as being the binding text. We regard the word ‘acknowledge’ as being the word that is determinative for the U.S.” In the August 17, 1982, U.S.-China Communique, the United States went one step further, stating that it had no intention of pursuing a policy of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan.”To this day, the U.S. “one China” position stands: the United States recognizes the PRC as the sole legal government of China but only acknowledges the Chinese position that Taiwan is part of China."
^ 16.016.1Shirley A. Kan; Wayne M. Morrison. U.S.-Taiwan Relationship: Overview of Policy Issues(pdf). Congressional Research Service: 4. 2013-01-04 [2020-08-02]. (原始内容存档(PDF)于2016-12-11). The position of the United States, as clarified in the China/Taiwan: Evolution of the "One China" Policy report of the Congressional Research Service (date: July 9, 2007) is summed up in five points: # The United States did not explicitly state the sovereign status of Taiwan in the three US-PRC Joint Communiques of 1972, 1979, and 1982. # The United States "acknowledged" the "One China" position of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. # U.S. policy has not recognized the PRC's sovereignty over Taiwan; # U.S. policy has not recognized Taiwan as a sovereign country; and # U.S. policy has considered Taiwan's status as undetermined. U.S. policy has considered Taiwan's status as unsettled. These positions remained unchanged in a 2013 report of the Congressional Research Service.
^ 18.018.1China/Taiwan: Evolution of the “One China” Policy—Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei(PDF). Congressional Research Service: 39. 2014-10-10 [2020-08-02]. (原始内容存档(PDF)于2017-04-10) (英语). In the Chinese text, the word for “acknowledge” is “cheng ren” (recognize), a change from “ren shi” (acknowledge),used in the 1972 Shanghai Communique. During debate on the TRA in February 1979, Senator Jacob Javits noted the difference and said that “it is very important that we not subscribe to [the Chinese position on one China] either way.” Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher responded that “we regard the English text as being the binding text. We regard the word ‘acknowledge’ as being the word that is determinative for the U.S.” (Wolff and Simon, pp. 310-311).
^學者:美一中政策 不應混淆 (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆),張可衣舊金山17日專電,中央社,2018-11-18,"戈迪溫指出,中國持續在國際間以其「一個中國原則」(One China Principle)混淆美國「一個中國政策」(One China Policy),在「一個中國」的定義上,美國從未「承認」(recognize)台灣是中華人民共和國的一部分。他說,在美中之間的三個公報之中,美國僅「認知」(acknowledge)中國認為只有一個中國且台灣是中國的一部份的立場。戈迪溫強調,美國僅是「認知」,但非「承認」,認知並不表示「承認與接受」,但中國將美國所用的「認知」一詞,中譯為「承認」,並以此混淆視聽。"
^台灣關係法與三公報 讀懂美國一中政策 (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆),中央通訊社,2017-04-05,"中美建交公報…美國認知(acknowledges)中國(人)立場(the Chinese position),只有一個中國,台灣是中國的一部分"。
^川普政府「一個中國政策」變化因素之分析 (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆),第86-87頁,謝賢璟,國會季刊,第47卷第2期,2019-06,"美國於 1979年與中國建交,雙方簽署《中美建交公報》…美國認知(acknowledges)中國的立場(the Chinese position),只有一個中國,臺灣是中國的一部分。"