本文由文化冷戰與東亞冷戰脈絡出發，探討《自由中國》與其冷戰贊助者──亞洲基金會（The Asia Foundation）的共謀、協商與角力，並嘗試釐清冷戰初期美國對臺灣政治文化活動的暗中涉入與後續迴響。本文揭示了《自由中國》既往為研究者忽視的宣傳功能、海外市場與冷戰關聯──自由中國社社長雷震為謀求刊物發展，運用各方冷戰需要，靈活周旋於美方與國民黨政府之間。而美國中央情報局支持的亞洲基金會著眼於《自由中國》對於東南亞華人的文化反共宣傳工作與潛力，遂於1953年起予以購贈補助，共同協力於「自由中國」宣傳。然而，所謂「自由中國」卻是名實不符。隨著《自由中國》對當局批判愈發激烈，亞洲基金會被牽扯進受援國內部政治矛盾，深陷本文所謂「自由中國兩難」的困局。該會最終基於現實考量，中止與雷震等自由主義者的合作，權宜性地妥協於獨裁政權。

This article explores the complex entanglement between Free China Fortnightly and its American sponsor, The Asia Foundation (TAF), through the lens of cultural Cold War dynamics in East Asia. It uncovers previously overlooked dimensions of the publication’s role in propaganda, its transnational circulation networks, and its affiliations with Cold War powers, particularly the covert involvement of the U.S. government in Taiwan’s political and cultural arenas during the early Cold War period. The study highlights how Lei Chen, the publication’s director, skillfully navigated the competing interests of the U.S. and Kuomintang (KMT) to advance his own political agenda. Beginning in 1953, the CIAfunded TAF subsidized the publication’s overseas distribution to promote cultural anticommunism among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Together, TAF and Free China Fortnightly worked to construct the narrative of “Free China” — an aspirational label that bore little resemblance to Taiwan’s political reality. As Free China Fortnightly grew increasingly critical of the KMT’s authoritarian rule, TAF found itself entangled in Taiwan’s domestic politics, confronting what this research terms as the “Free China dilemma.” Ultimately, pragmatic concerns led TAF to align with the KMT regime, withdrawing its support for Lei and Free China Fortnightly.

文化冷戰;隱蔽行動;資訊活動; 海外華人; 美國新聞處;友聯出版社

Cultural Cold War; Covert Operations; Information Activities; Overseas Chinese; United State Information Service; Union Press