「有些國家會質疑美國會不會來救援台灣。這就是那個時刻...我們要把話講很清楚，我們就是打算這麼做。」
美國參議員昆斯（Chris Coons, D-DE）
2021/6/6 9:30 訪台記者會
（聽打、翻譯，基隆市議員 張之豪）
感謝你們如此歡迎我們。我很榮幸加入兩位優秀的參議員，達克沃絲、蘇利文都曾在我國的軍隊服役，他們的人生故事中，在亞太區域的承諾與參與，對我與許多人來說，很有啟發意義。
我在參議院的外交委員會，也在該委員會旗下的撥款委員會擔任主席，就是負責撥款給拜登政府把疫苗配發給全球夥伴的計畫。幾週前我們就在討論我們對全球與疫情還在如何危害全球健康的關切。我們也要求拜登政府與我們合作，跨黨派，跨參議院與眾議院的大連線，來對全球需要的國家提供關鍵的疫苗。
正如你聽到蘇利文參議員所說，美國與台灣的關係既長久且深遠，並且正因為疫情爆發初期，台灣致贈了1000萬的口罩給我們，這讓美台關係，更為有目標、動人、並真實。畢竟當時我們還在擔心找口罩時，有些國家還在利用他們手上有的PPE等資源，來為自己謀取政治利益。
此刻，我們宣佈，在拜登政府與美國國會要提供相當關鍵的8000萬劑疫苗給全世界時，這是首批。因為台灣被世界衛生聯盟（按。應為口誤）阻擋在外不能加入，並且在尋購有效的疫苗的過程中，被四處樹立路障。我們認為現在尤其重要，我們肯定拜登政府的倡議並且有國會兩院跨黨派的支持，把這些在前任政府督導下研發出的有效、安全的疫苗，分享給我們全球的夥伴。
並且，我們也希望台灣民眾清楚知道，有些國家會質疑美國會不會來救援台灣。這就是那個時刻，我們認為這非常迫切也非常重要，外交部長先生，我們要把話講很清楚，我們就是打算這麼做。
我的選區是一個小州，德拉瓦州。我前任的議員，就是現任的美國總統。42年前，他對台灣關係法投下了贊成票。在來台灣的飛機上，我們一行人有人正在讀一本書，有關台灣關係法的歷史，並且與我們大家簡述分享。丹（蘇利文參議員）永遠都是那個學者型的（笑）。而被提醒這件事是很重要的：這不是一段新關係，這不是一個新夥伴關係。我上次來，我正陪同我們AIT的酈英傑處長，參加AIT一座新中心的成立，美麗、先進的建築的落成開幕典禮。
明天，當我們一行人回到美國參議院時，我們將會參與一個重要的法案表決。由外交委員會提案的，戰略競爭法，包括，再一次，清楚講述美台關係的規定。當法案提到參議院大會時，我身旁兩位在美國商務、科學和交通委員會的參議員，也將形塑與推動生效。未來當然會有更多立法上的修改，但我非常有信心，我們下週將在這個法案上會有跨黨派的表決，將通過美國創新與競爭力法。這個法案特別認可美台關係的戰略重要性，投資科技創新的急迫性，並作出像我們今天宣佈這批疫苗的提供此事一樣，把夥伴更緊密編織在一起。開放社會、全球的民主國家、認可創新與科技、保護發明、那些把科學的成果拿來幫助世界渡過疫情難關，並且不附帶任何條件，而是自由地提供出我們的社會可以研發出的成果。
謝謝。
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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.
