太平洋島國領導人警告美國未能通過資助法案為中國打開大門 Pacific Island leaders warn US failure to pass funding
bill opens door to China The Guardian 20240216
/ Taimocracy翻譯
The Federated
States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau say Congress needs to approve
fresh support announced by Joe Biden 密克羅尼西亞聯邦、馬紹爾群島和帛琉表示,美國國會要批准拜登宣佈的新支援
Pacific leaders have warned the US government that a delay in approving funding packages for the region threatens to play into the hands of Beijing, which is seeking to shift allegiances in the Pacific and draw away as many of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies as possible. 太平洋地區領導人警告美國政府,延宕批准該地區的一攬子資金計劃可能會落入北京的手中,北京正試圖改變對太平洋地區的效忠,並盡可能多地吸引台灣的外交盟友。
In 2023 the Federated States of Micronesia
(FSM), the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Palau agreed
to renew 20-year funding programs with the United States. The agreements, known
as Compacts of Free Association (COFA), see
But despite bipartisan support for
the new programs, known as Compacts of Free Association (COFA), the funding is yet
to be approved by Congress months later – even though the additional amount currently
needed is a relatively small $2.3bn. 但是,儘管兩黨都支援被稱為「自由聯合協定」(COFA)的新計劃,但這筆資金尚未在幾個月後得到國會的批准——即便目前需要的額外金額相對較小,只有23億美元。
Republican James Risch, of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, led a 24-senator bipartisan group in sponsoring an
amendment to include COFA funding in the contentious $95bn wartime aid package for
Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan which was passed by the Senate this week. 參議院外交關係委員會的共和黨人James Risch)導了一個由24名參議員組成的兩黨小組,提出了一項修正案,將COFA的資金納入參議院本周通過的有爭議的950億美元烏克蘭、以色列和台灣戰時援助計劃中。
The presidents of the three COFA countries
have grown increasingly anxious, repeatedly writing letters stressing the agreement’s
importance, according to
In a joint letter to Senate leaders
dated last week, they warned the delay had “generated uncertainty among our peoples”
and “resulted in undesirable opportunities for economic exploitation by competitive
political actors in the Pacific.” 在上周致參議院領導人的聯名信中,他們警告說,拖延「在我們的人民中產生了不確定性」,並「導致了太平洋地區競爭性政治行為者進行經濟剝削的不良機會」。
“We … cannot overstate the importance
to all of our nations of final approval by the US Congress,” they wrote. 他們寫道,「我們再怎麼強調......美國國會最終批准對我們所有國家的重要性都不為過。」
A separate letter from Palau’s president,
“Every day it is not approved plays
into the hands of the [Chinese Communist party] and the leaders here … who want
to accept its seemingly attractive economic offers – at the cost of shifting alliances,
beginning with sacrificing Taiwan,” he wrote. 「只要它不被批准,每一天都在[中國共產黨]和這裡的領導人手中......他們想接受其看似有吸引力的經濟提議——以改變聯盟為代價,從犧牲台灣開始,」他寫道。
Letters dated 12 and 13 February, from
the Marshall Islands
president
“Further delay … threatens to undermine
confidence in the US and to encourage some to agree to PRC enticements,”
Beijing claims Taiwan is a province
of China, and has vowed to one day annexe it under what it calls “reunification”,
using military force if deemed necessary. In the meantime it has used acts of military
intimidation, economic coercion, cognitive warfare, and diplomatic isolation to
push Taiwan towards accepting Chinese rule. In recent years it has drawn away several
of Taiwan’s few remaining diplomatic allies, including Nauru
in January, and Honduras
in 2023. There are now just 11 countries which recognise Taiwan as a sovereign
country, most of them small nations in the Caribbean or Pacific regions. 北京聲稱台灣是中國的一個省,併發誓有朝一日要吞併台灣,並在必要時使用武力。與此同時,它利用軍事恐嚇、經濟脅迫、認知戰和外交孤立等手段,推動台灣接受中國的統治。近年來,它已經拉走了台灣為數不多的幾個外交盟友,包括 1 月的諾魯和 2023 年的宏都拉斯。現在只有11個國家承認台灣是主權國家,其中大多數是加勒比海或太平洋地區的小國。
Ambassadors from some of these allies
have previously told the Guardian they remain linked with Taiwan for reasons ranging
from strongly held principles of solidarity
among small nations, to financial benefits. 其中一些盟國的大使此前曾告訴《衛報》,他們與台灣保持聯繫的原因包括小國之間堅定的團結原則,以及財政利益。
In 2023 the COFA funds accounted for
about 20% of the Marshall Islands’ annual government revenue, and 30% of Palau’s. 2023年,COFA資金約佔馬紹爾群島年度政府收入的20%,佔帛琉的30%。
Taiwan’s ministry of foreign affairs
called Whipps an “adamant ally” of Taiwan, and said it had reaffirmed ties with
Palau despite the pressure, and was working to further boost cooperative arrangements
including on tourism.
Taiwan’s government has made clearer
in recent years that it would not object to countries recognising both them and
Beijing, but Beijing is strict on not allowing any of its diplomatic allies to also
recognise Taiwan. 台灣外交部稱Whipps是台灣的「堅定盟友」,並表示儘管面臨壓力,它仍重申了與帛琉的關係,並正在努力進一步促進包括旅遊在內的合作安排。近年來,台灣政府更明確地表示,它不會反對國家承認台灣和北京,但北京嚴格不允許其任何外交盟友也承認台灣。
One of the most controversial switches
in recent times was Solomon Islands, which cut
its 36-year-old ties with Taiwan in favour of China in 2019, and went on to
sign lucrative trade pacts with Beijing and, in
In January the US-based Institute for
the Study of War said the COFA arrangements gave the US extensive military access
through the three countries’ sprawling territories, which included key sea lanes.
今年1月,總部設在美國的戰爭研究所(Institute for the Study of War)表示,COFA的安排使美國能夠通過這三個國家的廣闊領土(包括關鍵的海上通道)獲得廣泛的軍事准入。
“The loss of COFA funding would present
an opportunity for the CCP to expand its economic influence with these vital Pacific
Island countries,” it said. “失去COFA資金將為中共提供機會,以擴大其對這些重要太平洋島國的經濟影響力,”它說。
Congressional aides told
The
“We reiterate our call on Congress
to pass Compacts-related legislation as soon as possible,” a state department spokesperson
said when asked about the delays. 「我們再次呼籲國會儘快通過與契約相關的立法,」國務院發言人在被問及延宕時說。
The White House’s senior director for
east Asia, Mira Rapp-Hooper, told the US Institute of Peace thinktank on Thursday
that getting the COFAs funded was “really second-to-none in terms of our strategic
tasks that we have to take on this year.”
白宮東亞事務高級主任米拉·拉普-胡珀(Mira Rapp-Hooper)周四對美國和平研究所(US Institute of Peace)智庫表示,獲得COFA的資助「就我們今年必須承擔的戰略任務而言,確實是首屈一指的」。
“It just simply must be done,” she
said. 「這就是必須完成的事情,」她說。
Ting-Yu Kuo
回覆刪除Sole Owner of Formosa & Pescadores
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ting-yu-kuo-507619173