方恩格快評》中央社也淪爲打手

圖爲中央社。（王英豪攝）

中央通訊社近期發生的兩起事件可被認爲起因於臺灣外交部，因爲涉入此次事件的歐洲國家不久前方對印太地區之政策表示立場，即選擇於該地區的部分政策與美國持相同的態度，這亦會使臺灣間接獲利。是以，這些事件理應該受到臺灣執政黨、在野黨、監督媒體的非政府組織以及大衆的關注。

在第一起事件中，中央通訊社採訪了即將卸任的德國在臺協會處長王子陶（Thomas Prinz）。在採訪中，王子陶重申了他早前在臉書上所寫的內容，即臺灣從 BioNTech 購買疫苗是 BioNTech 與臺灣之間的商業事務。王子陶指出，存在一家中國製造商參與的現實（因爲 BNT 將臺灣的分銷權授予上海復星醫藥），但他沒有說明中國正在阻止臺灣購買 BNT疫苗。中央社英文原文寫成「臺灣申購BNT疫苗遇到問題因爲中國的介入」，省略了「製造商」一詞。這大大改變了王子陶所說的話，中央社後來將英文報導更正爲「臺灣向 BNT採購疫苗遇到問題」，因爲「中國公司的介入」。中央社似乎改變了王子陶的評論，以與政府尚未證實的指控一致，即中國阻止臺灣購買 BNT 疫苗。

在第二起事件中，中央社援引 Facebook 頁面和臺灣海巡署的消息稱，一艘法國海軍艦艇在彰化海岸附近。

我不禁希望這個故事也許是真的，法國計劃再次佔領澎湖，就像1885年中法戰爭的Pescadores戰役一樣。如果法國佔領澎湖，這些島嶼可以成爲兩岸之間的緩衝地帶，並降低臺海爆發戰爭的可能性。

法國軍方駁斥中央社的報導不實。迄今爲止，沒有其他消息來源證實一艘法國海軍艦艇正在臺灣西海岸航行。然而，正如臺灣其他評論人士指出的那樣，錯誤的報導已經爲某些臺灣人提供了利益，這些人想要宣傳法國或其他歐洲國家計劃在臺灣增加軍事存在的想法，或臺海發生戰爭時來臺援助。

中央社作爲政府通訊社有着悠久的歷史，無論是在大陸，在戒嚴期間，還是在臺灣民主化之後。中央社以多種語言發佈新聞，因此也是臺灣向世界發聲的管道。不幸的是，中央社也與其他政府機構或其他政府資助機構競爭，無論是爲臺灣還是海外觀衆做類似的工作，包括公共電視系統、臺北國際廣播電臺、一個擬議的國際電視頻道、總統府發言人和政府部門。或許是出於保護自身利益的緣故，中央社目前的管理層已經改變了其文化或編輯標準。作爲經常爲外文媒體評論臺灣事態發展的人，看到中央社發生這種情況，我感到很難過。

只能希望臺灣的最新歐洲朋友立陶宛在臺北設立代表處時，能聘請一位優秀的人來處理媒體關係，以免成爲這種媒體行爲的受害者。

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Two recent incidents at the Central News Agency should be cause at Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the incidents involve European countries that recently have taken steps to align at least some of their polices in the Indo-Pacific region with the United States which indirectly is also good for Taiwan. The incidents should also be cause for concern among Taiwan’s ruling and opposition political parties non-government organizations that monitor the media and the public in general.

In the first incident the Central News Agency interviewed the outgoing Thomas Prinz director general of German Institute Taipei. In the interview Prinz reiterated what he earlier wrote on Facebook that Taiwan’s purchase of vaccines from BioNTech is a commercial matter between BioNTech and Taiwan. Prinz noted the reality that there is a Chinese manufacturer involved (as BNT gave Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical the distribution rights for Taiwan) but he did not state that China is blocking Taiwan’s purchase of BioNTech vaccines. The original English version of the Central News Agency was written as “Taiwan’s bid to procure vaccines from BioNTech encountered problems “because of the Chinese involvement.”” omitting the word manufacturer. This significantly changed the meaning of what Prinz said and the Central News Agency later corrected the English language report to read “Taiwan’s bid to procure vaccines from BioNTech encountered problems “because of the Chinese company’s involvement.””.

It appears that the Central News Agency altered the representative’s comments so as to be consistent with the government’s as of yet unproven allegation that China blocked Taiwan from purchasing BNT vaccines.

In the second incident the Central News Agency citing a Facebook page and Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration reported that a French naval ship was off the coast of Changhua.

I couldn’t help but hope that perhaps the story is true and France plans to again occupy Penghu as it did in the Pescadores Campaign of Sino-French War in 1885. If France occupied Penghu the islands could be a buffer between China and Taiwan and mitigate the possibility of a war in the Taiwan Strait.

France’s Ministry of Armed Forces refuted the Central News Agency report as inaccurate. To date no other sources confirmed that a French Navy ship was sailing off Taiwan’s west coast. However as other commentators in Taiwan have pointed out the erroneous report would already serve the purpose of providing a public relations benefit to certain people in Taiwan who want to promote the idea that France or other European countries plan to increase their military presence in the Taiwan Strait or come to Taiwan’s assistance in the event of war with China.

The Central News Agency has a long history as the government’s news agency whether on the mainland during martial law and after Taiwan’s democratization. The Central News Agency publishes reports in multiple languages and thus is also a voice to the world for events in Taiwan. Unfortunately the Central News Agency also competes with other government agencies or other government funded agencies that do similar work whether for audiences in Taiwan or overseas including Public Television System Radio Taipei International a proposed international television channel the spokespersons of the Presidential Office and government ministries. Perhaps out of a desire to protect its interests the Central News Agency’s current management has changed its culture or editorial standards. As someone who frequently comments for foreign language media about developments in Taiwan it saddens me to see that this has happened to the Central News Agency.

One can only hope that Taiwan’s newest European friend Lithuania when it opens its representative office in Taipei will hire an excellent person to manage media relations so that it will not become a victim of this kind of media behavior.

※以上言論不代表旺中媒體集團立場※