這是一份為 1976 年赴美 RCA 受訓的台灣半導體第一代開拓者(如曹興誠、史欽泰等先生)所擬定的《華爾街日報》(The Wall Street Journal)投書草稿。
本稿件採取**「中英對照」**格式,行文風格嚴謹、有力、不卑不亢,直擊川普總統的「偷竊論」與「免洗筷危機」,並自然地為國會即將推動的《晶片國安法》奠定道德與法理的正當性。
標題建議 (Suggested Headlines)
主標題: We Bought the Technology in 1976. We Are Partners, Not Thieves.
(中文: 我們在1976年買下了技術:我們是夥伴,不是小偷。)
副標題: A response to President Trump from the pioneers who built Taiwan’s semiconductor industry from scratch.
(中文: 一群從零開始建立台灣半導體產業的開拓者,對川普總統的回應。)
投書內文 (Op-Ed Body)
【第一部分:直面指控,端出歷史鐵證】
[English]
Recently, President Donald Trump once again accused Taiwan of "stealing" the American semiconductor industry and labeled us "chip thieves" during an interview with Fox News. He even claimed that Taiwan’s success belongs to Intel. As the pioneers who personally traveled to the United States fifty years ago to bring semiconductor technology back to Taiwan, we cannot remain silent. This is not just a political narrative; it is a severe moral and legal accusation that distorts history. We must set the record straight for the American public: Taiwan never stole anything. We bought it, fair and square.
[中文]
日前,美國川普總統在接受福斯新聞專訪時,再度指控台灣「偷走」了美國的半導體產業,並貼上「晶片小偷」的標籤,甚至宣稱台灣的成功本該屬於英特爾。作為五十年前親自前往美國受訓、將半導體技術引進台灣的開拓者,我們無法再保持沈默。這不單純是政治語言,而是一個扭曲歷史、嚴重的道德與法律控訴。我們必須向美國大眾澄清歷史真相:台灣從未偷竊任何東西,我們是合法、正當地買下來的。
[English]
The history is preserved in black and white. On March 5, 1976, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) signed a formal 10-year technology transfer agreement with the American giant RCA. Taiwan paid USD 3.5 million—consisting of a USD 2.5 million transfer fee and a USD 1.0 million licensing fee. In 1976, this sum was an astronomical astronomical gamble for an agrarian Taiwan. We were among the young engineers sent to RCA’s facilities in the U.S. to learn the basics of CMOS technology. The United States did not lose its industry through theft; it willingly sold the seeds, and Taiwan spent half a century nurturing them.
[中文]
歷史白紙黑字不容抹煞。1976年3月5日,台灣工業技術研究院(工研院)與美國RCA公司正式簽署了一份為期十年的技術移轉合約。台灣支付了350萬美元——包含250萬美元的技術移轉費與100萬美元的授權金。在1976年,這筆款項對於當時仍處於農業社會的台灣來說,是一場賭上國家命運的天文數字豪賭。我們正是當年被派往美國RCA工廠、從零開始學習CMOS技術的年輕工程師。美國並非因為偷竊而失去產業,它是自願賣出了種子,而台灣則花了半個世紀將其灌溉長大。
【第二部分:闡明商業創新,反駁英特爾神話】
[English]
To suggest that Taiwan's business "should have been Intel's" fundamentally misunderstands the evolution of the global tech industry. Decades ago, American tech giants chose to abandon the low-margin, high-pollution, and high-capital risks of manufacturing to focus on high-margin software and chip design. Taiwan fills the void by pioneering the "pure-play foundry" model—a strategic innovation that does not compete with its clients. This trusted partnership allowed American powerhouses like Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm to thrive and dominate the global market. Taiwan did not take American jobs; Taiwan built the foundation that kept American tech giants at the top of the world. Our success was paid for with thirty years of risky capital investments and the relentless, round-the-clock sacrifices of generations of Taiwanese engineers.
[中文]
宣稱台灣的生意「本該屬於英特爾」,根本上誤解了全球科技產業的演進史。幾十年前,美國科技巨頭主動選擇放棄低毛利、高污染、高資本風險的製造端,轉而專注於高毛利的軟體與晶片設計。台灣則開創了「純晶圓代工」的商業模式來填補這一空白——這是一種不與客戶競爭的戰略創新。正是這種值得信賴的夥伴關係,讓蘋果、輝達、超微、高通等美國企業得以蓬勃發展並稱霸全球。台灣沒有搶走美國的工作,台灣是打造了讓美國科技巨頭維持世界第一的基石。我們的成功,是靠三十年來高風險的資本投資,以及幾代台灣工程師沒日沒夜的拼搏與犧牲換來的。
【第三部分:點出免洗筷危機,為《晶片國安法》開路】
[English]
Today, Taiwan finds itself in a profound dilemma. As Washington demands that our advanced manufacturing migrate to U.S. soil under the banner of economic security, political leaders simultaneously vilify us as predators. This "disposable chopstick" treatment—using our supply chain security while branding us as thieves—has deeply wounded the Taiwanese people. If President Trump believes that domestic industries require legal protection to prevent them from being "taken," then he must respect the exact same logic when applied to Taiwan.
[中文]
今天,台灣陷入了深沉的兩難。當華盛頓以經濟安全為由,要求我們將最先進的製造端遷移到美國本土時,政治領袖卻同時將我們醜化為掠奪者。這種把台灣當成「用過即丟的免洗筷」待遇——一邊依賴我們的供應鏈安全,一邊將我們貼上小偷標籤——深深傷害了台灣人民的情感。如果川普總統認為本土產業需要法律「保護」才不會被搶走,那麼當相同的邏輯應用在台灣時,他也必須予以尊重。
[English]
Driven by this growing sense of vulnerability, a bipartisan push is currently underway in Taiwan’s Parliament to enact a "Chip National Security Act." The core mission of this legislation is simple and defensive: to ensure that the cutting-edge research, development, and production lines we legally purchased and painstakingly developed remain anchored in Taiwan. This is not isolationism. Just as the United States seeks to secure its supply chains, Taiwan’s lawmakers are acting on a mandate from their people to safeguard the nation’s lifeblood.
[中文]
正是出於這種與日俱增的危機感,台灣國會目前正由在野黨領袖領銜,計畫在全新會期優先推動**《晶片國安法》**。這項立法的核心宗旨非常簡單且純粹是防禦性的:確保我們當年合法買下、並歷經艱辛研發的最先進研發與生產線,實質根留台灣。這不是鎖國主義。正如美國尋求確保自身供應鏈安全一樣,台灣的立法者是在履行人民的託付,捍衛國家的科技命脈。
【第四部分:結語與呼籲】
[English]
We traveled to America fifty years ago as students eager to learn, and we returned as lifelong partners of the American tech ecosystem. True partnerships are sustained through mutual respect and institutional trust, not through historical revisionism and inflammatory rhetoric. Taiwan’s impending legislation to protect its own assets is a direct, dignified response to the shifting geopolitical winds. We hope the American public recognizes that a strong, secure, and self-reliant Taiwan is the best guarantee for America’s own technological future.
[中文]
五十年前,我們作為渴望學習的學生前往美國;回台後,我們成為美國科技生態系終身的合作夥伴。真正的夥伴關係維繫於相互尊重與體制互信,而非歷史的扭曲與煽動性的言語。台灣即將透過立法來保護自身資產,這是對地緣政治風向轉變所做出的正當、不卑不亢的回應。我們希望美國大眾能理解,一個強大、安全且能自立的台灣,才是美國自身科技未來最好的保障。
💡 戰略微調說明(給台灣內部凝聚共識的參考):
1 數字的魔力: 文章刻意端出 「1976年3月5日」 與 「350萬美元」 這兩個精準的數字。這對《華爾街日報》的美國商務讀者極具說服力,能瞬間將「政治口水」拉回「商業契約」,讓川普的控訴在法理上站不住腳。
2 順水推舟的立法正當性: 內文第三部分用「既然川普認為產業需要保護,那台灣也一樣」的邏輯,完美替《晶片國安法》定調。這讓美國人明白,台灣立法不是要跟美國對抗,而是被川普逼出來的「對等防衛措施」,美國完全沒有立場反對。
3 迴避台積電內部爭議: 署名為「1976年赴美RCA受訓開拓者」,以「工研院引進技術」為起點,巧妙避開了曹興誠先生提到的台積電後續「化公為私」的內部敏感爭議,團結了台灣科技界的第一代集體意志。