美國幫定了！昆斯：我們就打算這麼做

記者黎冠志／台北報導

美國聯邦參議員達克沃絲（Ladda Tammy Duckworth）、蘇利文（Daniel Scott Sullivan）及昆斯（Christopher Andrew Coons）於今（6）日訪台，訪問團搭乘「C-17戰略戰術運輸機」在上午7時19分抵達台灣，參議員達克沃絲抵達後也親自宣布「經過與白宮討論，美國將捐贈台灣75萬劑疫苗」。而昆斯則是強調，「有些國家會質疑美國是否會馳援台灣，現在是對我們來說緊急且重要的時刻，我們要把話講很清楚，我們就是打算這麼做。」涉外人士透露，這趟訪問行程的意義遠比這75萬劑疫苗還要重要且珍貴！

▲台灣危急美國會幫忙，昆斯宣示：我們就打算這麼做（圖／總統府提供）

涉外人士表示，昆斯是承接拜登德拉瓦州參議員選區的參議員，也是《台灣保證法（Taiwan Assurance Act）》及《台北法（TAIPEI Act）》的共同提案人。昆斯曾在2019年《台灣關係法》40週年之際訪問台灣，蔡英文也在總統府接見訪問團。美國媒體《Politico》曾揭露，與拜登友好的昆斯一度是國務卿的人選之一，而後來拜登任命了布林肯（Antony Blinken），並表達「需要昆斯留在參議院」，也顯見昆斯的重要性。而這是繼4月前聯邦參議員陶德（Chris Dodd）訪台後，短時間內第二次有「拜登超級好朋友」訪問台灣。

昆斯一抵達台灣時，就對外強調，「有些國家會質疑美國是否會馳援台灣，現在是對我們來說緊急且重要的時刻，我們要把話講很清楚，我們就是打算這麼做。」涉外人士表示，這趟訪問行程的意義遠比這75萬劑疫苗還要重要且珍貴！「美國訪問團在台灣進行邊境管制之下，為了告訴台灣人有美方捐贈的疫苗，專程來台和蔡總統會談，就是要釋出『美國和台灣站在一起』的訊息」，該人士表示，台美不僅僅在對抗COVID-19疫情是夥伴，其他經貿、戰略合作，甚至是民間交流也密不可分，拜登政府也要藉此對外宣布「台灣這個關鍵國家，美國很重視！」尤其過去幾年來，蔡英文用行動向世界證明了她是值得被尊敬的國家領導者，美國政界也高度關注蔡英文的第二任期，「尤其在面對疫情挑戰，中國軍事威脅的夾殺下，台灣怎麼突破重圍」，這是很關鍵的！

※昆斯致詞全文：（節錄自基隆市議員張之豪臉書）

你好，thank you so much for welcoming us. It is such an honor, for me to join with these two tremendous senators. Senator Duckworth and Senator Sullivan, who have served our nation in our nation’s military, whose personal stories of commitment and engagement in this region of the world are inspiring to me and many others. I serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I chaired the appropriation sub committee in the Senate that is funding vaccine distribution to the world in partnership with the Biden Administration. As we were discussing, weeks ago, our concerns about the world and about this pandemic as as it continues to be a threat to health around the world. We were urging the Biden Administration to work with us, a bipartisan group across the Senate and the House, to announce significant donations of vaccines to the nations in need.

As you’ve just heard from Senator Sullivan, it is a long and deep relationship between the United States and Taiwan that was made purposeful and poignant and real for us in the difficult early days of this pandemic by a gift of contribution of 10 million masks that, at the moment when Americans, we were worried where they could find masks and where some other countries use that access to PPE, to their political benefit.

In this moment, we are announcing, the first of what is going to be a significant effort by the Biden Administration and the United States Congress to provide up to 80 million doses to many countries around the world and because Taiwan has been prevented from joining the world health alliance has had roadblocks put up towards its access to save effective vaccines we thought its of particular importance to celebrate the Biden Administration’s initiative and the support of congress that is bipartisan. In taking these effective and safe vaccines developed under the previous administration of the United States and with partnership around the world. And make certain that the people of Taiwan know, there are some countries that question whether the United States will come to the aid of our friends in Taiwan. This is the moment we thought was urgent and important for us, Mr. Foreign Minister, to make it clear, that we intend to do so.

I represent the small state of Delaware, my predecessor is now the President of the United States. 42 years ago, He voted for the Taiwan Relations Act, as we were traveling, members of our company was reading a book about the history of the Taiwan Relations Act and sharing with us about it. Dan is ever the scholar. And it was helpful to be reminded, this is not a new relationship, this is not a new partnership, I was last here with AIT director Christensen when we were opening a beautiful new state of the art facility center, for United States engagement here with Taiwan.

As we return tomorrow to the United States Senate, we will be taking votes this coming week, to pass this significant piece of legislation. Coming out of the Foreign Relations committee, it was known as the Strategic Competition Act, it includes the provision to make clear, again, the strength of the US-Taiwan relationship. As it moves through the full Senate with the support of these two senators who are on the Commerce Committee, as it is being shaped and finally hopefully enacted. There is always changes of legislations to come, but I am very hopeful, that we will take a strong bipartisan vote in the coming week, and pass the US Innovation and Competitiveness Act. It specifically recognizes the strategic importance of US-Taiwan relationship, the urgency of investing in innovation, and taking steps such as we take today, the announcement of this vaccine contribution, to more tightly weave together, the open societies, the democracies of the world, those that value innovation and science, those that protect inventions, and those that want to use the fruits of that science to help the world move past this terrible pandemic, not by adding strings to it, but by giving freely of what both of our societies have been able to develop, thank you.

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