座談會
安全化、封閉化下的中國研究：臺灣如何重建學術主體？ 國關中心座談探討當前中國研究的挑戰、創新與合作
安全化、封閉化下的中國研究：臺灣如何重建學術主體？國關中心座談探討當前中國研究的挑戰、創新與合作
【國關中心訊】
國關中心今（21）日舉辦「臺灣的中國研究現況、優勢與挑戰」系列座談第二場，此次座談由國關中心主任王信賢教授與副研究員曾偉峯共同主持，邀請開南大學人文社會學院院長張執中教授與中央研究院政治學研究所張廖年仲副研究員進行交流。
張執中指出，中國大陸學者近年來在資料掌握的深度與廣度上快速提升，特別是在地方治理與菁英政治領域。隨著習近平時代「安全化」政策加劇，媒體報導與相關政治數據皆被納入國家安全的範疇，海外學者取得資訊的難度與風險大幅提高，學者進入中國進行研究的機會明顯減少，多改採新的資料分析方法持續研究，而臺灣學者也易受兩岸關係緊張影響而被「貼標籤」。儘管環境受限，張執中強調，研究中國仍需從「將國家帶回、將黨帶回」的角度出發，結合多種研究視角，方能對中國的發展進行更準確的評估。
張廖年仲認為，中國外交研究正面臨「理論匱乏」現象，現有的國際關係理論難以充分解釋中國對外行為的轉變，研究焦點也從中國如何融入國際社會，轉向其對國際秩序的挑戰。張廖年仲指出，儘管中國大陸學術環境持續緊縮，仍可以透過第三地研討會與跨國資料合作進行交流以及維持研究動能，並建議臺灣應將中國研究拓展為社會科學的一環，並積極與資訊科學等領域展開跨學科合作。
曾偉峯指出在中國資訊愈趨封閉的情況下，研究者往往只能取得中國願意釋出的資料，如何在進行文本分析時避免落入中國設下的敘事陷阱，成為重要挑戰。此外，面對社會科學對普遍性知識的追求，他也反思在當代社會科學強調普遍性理論與方法的背景下，臺灣的中國研究如何不被稀釋其本有特色，並在維持學術嚴謹的同時，展現自身的分析視角與詮釋力。曾偉峯亦關注臺灣學界當前較少著墨在建立中國研究前沿性議題，並期待與會學者合力協助突破既有研究框架，強化臺灣在國際中國研究場域中的貢獻。
王信賢主任總結指出，臺灣的中國研究隨著資料封閉、交流受限等因素正面臨考驗，強調未來臺灣中國研究的發展關鍵，除了延續對中國文本的解讀與內政的分析等既有優勢，更須積極推動跨領域合作。國關中心將持續推動系列對話，整合現有資源，盼能提升臺灣在全球中國研究領域的影響力。
On March 21, the Institute of International Relations (IIR) hosted its second session in a discussion series titled “The Current State of China Studies in Taiwan: Challenges and Opportunities.” Hosted by IIR Director Wang Hsin-Hsien and Associate Research Fellow Tzeng Wei-Feng, this session featured Kainan University School of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Chang Chih-Chung and Academia Sinica Institute of Political Science Associate Research Fellow Chang-Liao Nien-Chung.
Professor Chang outlined challenges facing China scholars, namely information and fieldwork restrictions. Under Xi Jinping’s prioritization of national security policy, media reports and political data are increasingly classified under the umbrella of national security, raising the difficulty and risk for overseas scholars to access information. Fieldwork opportunities have significantly diminished, at least for researchers of Chinese politics, driving scholars to rely on new forms of data analysis. Rising cross-Strait tensions have also made Taiwanese scholars more vulnerable to being politically labeled. Despite these limitations, Chang emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong understanding of the Chinese state and the Chinese Communist Party as the analytical foundation for China studies. In addition to new forms of data analysis, he called attention to the value of comparative research for understanding China’s party-state system.
Professor Chang-Liao explained that research on Chinese foreign policy is currently facing the challenge of a “theory gap,” as existing international relations theories struggle to explain shifts in China’s external behavior. The research agenda has changed from examining how China is integrating into the pre-existing international system to reckoning with how China is challenging that system. Chang-Liao pointed out that although space for academic exchange in China continues to shrink, there are still opportunities for scholarly exchange through meetings in third countries and international data collaboration. He also recommended that the China studies field in Taiwan should further its interdisciplinary cooperation—particularly with fields like information science.
Dr. Tzeng highlighted that amid growing information restrictions, researchers are often limited to accessing only the data that the Chinese state is willing to release. This creates a major challenge for textual analyses to avoid simply reflecting narratives cultivated by Chinese authorities. Tzeng noted the importance of maintaining Taiwan’s distinctive characteristics in China studies, namely strong analytical abilities in understanding China’s system and interpreting the meaning of documents and statements. He also expressed concern that Taiwan’s academic community paid relatively little attention to developing cutting-edge topics in China studies. He expressed hope that scholars could further collaborate to break through existing research frameworks and strengthen Taiwan’s contributions to global China studies.
In conclusion, Director Wang reiterated that Taiwan’s China studies field faces growing challenges of limited data access and restricted academic exchange. He emphasized that while Taiwan should maintain its foundational strengths in textual interpretation and analysis of China’s domestic politics, future research must also prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration. IIR will continue to promote dialogue and integrate research resources in hopes of strengthening Taiwan’s influence in the global China studies field.
