7月13日,在美国国务院记者会上发生的一幕,或许让菲律宾南海仲裁案的幕后推手——美国政府感到尴尬。
在当天的记者会上,一位中国记者手持美国版地图向美国国务院副发言人唐纳发问说,“这份地图的来源是美国政府,上面把太平岛的属性定义为‘岛屿’,而不是‘礁石’,这与南海仲裁案的‘裁决’结果不同。我想要知道这个地图是否代表美国政府立场?”
面对这一情境,唐纳在回答中用“恩……呃……”还有“笑声”加以掩饰。
那么,在记者会现场,美国国务院副发言人唐纳到底是如何写出一个大大的“囧”字,请看当天的记者会问答实录:
QUESTION: Just real quickly. National University of Singapore, they released this map on their website, and together with gazetteer. So one map here, it says the source is from United States Government. And it says here on those land features – Taiping Island, Controlled by Taiwan – the feature of – this island is island instead of rock as --
中国记者:新加坡国立大学国际法中心在网站上刊登了地图和地名辞典。其中一份地图,它的来源是美国政府。而且,这张地图写的是太平岛,而不是太平“礁”。
MR TONER: Sure.
发言人:恩。
QUESTION: -- not – different from what the ruling says. I wonder if this represent the United States Government view.
中国记者:这跟南海仲裁案“裁决”结果不相符。(美国政府在这张地图上把太平岛定性为岛屿,而不是礁石。)我想要知道这个地图是否代表美国政府立场?
MR TONER: Can I – what map is it? I’m sorry.
发言人:我能……不好意思,那是啥地图?
QUESTION: So this map released on the website of National University of Singapore but it says the source is from the United States Government.
发言人:这是新加坡国立大学网站的一张地图,(但人家说得很清楚,)这张地图来源是美国政府。
MR TONER: Hold it up, please. I’m going to hold you to it.
发言人:请把地图举起来让我看一下。(笑了……)
QUESTION: The source – source is from the United States Government. I assume it’s from the State Department and --
中国记者:这个来源是美国政府。我想,应当是来自美国国务院。
MR TONER: Yeah, you’re – but you’re referring to Taiping? Is that the --
发言人:恩。你……你提到了太平……这是?
QUESTION: Yes.
中国记者:是。
MR TONER: Okay. Look, the decision was quite clear in its description of what is an island and what is a rock, so I would just refer you to its legal definition.
发言人:恩……是这样……“裁决”已经非常清楚地表述了什么是岛,呃……,什么是礁。我只能建议你,呃……去看它的法律定义。
QUESTION: It can’t be both?
中国记者:不能“二者皆是”?
MR TONER: I can – (laughter). Arguably – excuse me. But --
发言人:我……噗……可论证地……(笑了……)
QUESTION: Does it really – does it quote the song? I am a rock and I am an island?
他国记者:这跟一首歌应不应景——我是一个“礁石,我是一个“岛屿”?
MR TONER: Great song, by the way, but unrelated to this discussion. (Laughter.) But – and I can give you that, but I don’t need to read it to you. But look, it – basically there are – there’s a very clear definition within the finding, or the court ruling, that delineates what is an island, legiTIMate island, and what is a rock.
发言人:(笑了……)是首好歌……但跑题了……(继续笑……)是这样……岛屿跟礁石的有着很清楚的定义……我能把这定义给你,但我不能在这读给你听哈……(说这句话的时候伴着间歇的笑……)
QUESTION: Yeah, but the question is: Does the U.S. Government – do you have your official definition of the land features in South China Sea? Because what if the ruling, it’s contradict to what you find if it’s island or rock?
中国记者:是。但我的问题是,美国有没有对南海岛礁属性的官方定义?万一你们的定义可能与裁决结果相矛盾呢?
MR TONER: We’re not at this point in time going to challenge the definition that they’ve put in there legally at this point.
发言人:目前我们……呃……呃……不会……呃……去挑战裁决作出的合法定义。
虽然南海临时仲裁庭“裁决”将太平岛定义为礁,但公开资料显示,美国政府发布的南海地图中明确将太平岛定义为“岛屿”。
华盛顿智库战略与国际问题研究中心等多家研究机构刊登分析文章指出,太平岛确实是岛,并非礁石。2010年1月美国政府发布了南海地图与地理描述,明确把太平岛以及附属岛屿标记为岛,并注明了岛屿的经纬度。可面对常设仲裁法院7月12号违背常理的裁决,美国国务院发言人却并不愿意反驳。