因此我們可以歸納幾點。首先，媒體引述外國報導時，也許只有片段資訊，回到原文會有更多值得探索的資訊。第二，外國人在描寫台灣時，我們應該保持平常心；因為他的視點，很可能只受到一個或兩個他所熟知台灣人的影響。寫台灣好，或覺得寫出「我們這派」的想法時縱然可能會感到高興，但很可能作者認識的人相異，觀點就截然不同了。
如果有一天，台灣內部的共識，已經不需要為「台灣是不是一個國家」之類的問題爭辯時，才是真正值得高興的一天。
Taiwan has its own constitution and democratically elected president, armed forces and freedom of speech. It very much sees itself as a separate sovereign state. The People’s Republic of China （PRC）, though, disagrees. It claims that the government of the Republic of China （RoC, or Taiwan） is an illegal and illegitimate one. To the PRC, Taiwan is not Taiwan, rather the “Taiwan authorities”. And in its mind, the PRC remains very much in charge. It allows no international recognition of Taiwan as an independent sovereign state.
台灣有自己的憲法、依照民主程序所選出的總統、軍隊及言論自由。台灣很大程度地，視自己為獨立的主權國。雖然中華人民共和國並不同意。中華人民共和國宣稱中華民國（ROC，或台灣）是非法、不具正當性的國家。對中華人民共和國來說，台灣不是台灣，而是「台灣當局」。在中華人民共和國心中，他們仍掌管大局。中華人民共和國不允許國際承認台灣是獨立主權國。
Nor any discussion of the issue, either. In the PRC, at least. Try to Google the subject when on the mainland, and you’ll find nothing. Anything save the PRC version of the truth is not just censored, but banned. China still has 1,600 cruise and ballistic missiles pointed at the country, and threatens to respond with “military conflict” should Taiwan ever try to claim full independence. It’s an odd state of affairs, but not one that seems to affect day-to-day life.
