RICHARD ARMITAGE CONFIRMED BY SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Armitage 副國務卿任命﹐3/16在參院聽政﹐成功結束﹐ 他會是國務院僅次於國務卿鮑爾的第二號人物。 以下是他在聽政會中的部份發言。

值得我們注意的是﹐ Armitage在聽政會中非常強調他要執行的是“我們的”(指美國的)一中政策﹐明白表示不是朱容基那一套。他同時更強調布許政權不像已往克林頓政權﹐ 不會再把台灣視為問題來源﹐ 反將之視為機會。台灣問題求解﹐ 必須視台灣居民而定。

以下是聽政會部份筆錄。

HELMS: 以下為參議員HELMS的問題(HELMS是參院外交關係委員會的主席)﹕

[…] There you go. The strategic situation among Taiwan and China,I think, has changed, involving the United States at least, changed since the end of the Cold War. And today, there is a potential, I think, in that region,
for a conflict that could well include and involve the United States. But as it seems so to so many of us in our nation's Cold War era policy on Taiwan and China, which appears sometimes to be pretending that Taiwan doesn't
even exist, our policy has not changed. What do you think the Administration will do in that regard?
我以為﹐ 台灣與中國的戰略情況已變﹐ 至少在涉及美國的方面﹐ 在冷戰結束後就已有變化。而那一地區現狀﹐在我看來﹐
將來很有可能會起衝突而導致美國的介入。 可是啊﹐我們很多人都覺得我國還在用冷戰的那一套政策來對待台灣與中國﹐ 很多時候甚至還假裝台灣根本不存在﹐我們的政策還沒變過來。 在你看來﹐ 新政權對此要怎麼辦﹖

MR.ARMITAGE: Mr. Chairman, if there is conflict in the Strait, we all failed miserably, first of all. Second, I think it's fair to say Bush Administration doesn't view Taiwan as the, quote, "problem" our relationship with China. We frankly view it as an opportunity. First of all, things have changed. We have a democracy, not a martial state, on Taiwan. And it's an opportunity,
I think, for the West show that democracies count for something.
Second, it's opportunity for China to show that she has the willingness and the fortitude to resolve peacefully conflicts. So we're looking at it, first of all, as a conflict -- as an opportunity , not a problem. Second
of all, things have changed. We adhere to our "One China" policy, which is an acknowledgment of people on both sides of the Strait that there is but one China. Taiwan is part of China. But what has changed is that any
agreement that is arrived at has to be acceptable to the of the people on Taiwan.

ARMITAG的答覆﹕
主席先生﹐
首先﹐台灣海峽如果發生戰爭﹐ 表示我們的工作完全失敗。其次﹐ 我想我敢說﹐布許政權不會把台灣視為美中關係的"問題"所在。其實反而視之為機會。 第一點﹐情況不同了。 我們現在在台灣的是個民主體制﹐ 而不是戒嚴國家。 我以為﹐ 此時是西方國家表示重視民主的好機會。

其次﹐ 中國可趁機顯示﹐ 她有意願也有能力以和平方式解決紛爭。 所以我們的看法如下﹕
是衝突﹐ 也是機會﹐ 但不是問題。 再說﹐情況不同了。 我們會遵守我們自己的“一中政策”﹐也就是說我們認知到海峽兩岸人民都認為只有一個中國﹐ 而台灣是中國的一部分。
不過﹐ 有異之處在於﹐ 最終的決定只能在台灣絕大多數居民都肯接受後才能定案。”

〈我有意見〉