2026-04-09 00:51:06 UTC / 路透社
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当选参议员吉姆·班克斯（共和党-印第安纳州）与其他即将上任的共和党参议员一同在华盛顿美国国会大厦众议院会见参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔（共和党-肯塔基州，图中未出镜），摄于2024年11月12日。路透社/内森·霍华德
台北4月9日路透电 美国参议员吉姆·班克斯在台北与赖清德总统会面时表示，台湾议会应通过一项搁置的特别国防预算，向中国和全世界传递信号，表明台湾认真对待以实力求和平。
赖清德去年提议增加400亿美元国防开支以对抗视台湾为其固有领土的中国。
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在反对党占据多数席位的台湾议会目前仍在审议政府的这项预算案，同时也在讨论其他成本更低的竞争性提案。
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根据赖清德办公室提供的会面视频，身为参议院军事委员会成员的共和党议员班克斯周三对赖清德表示，台湾总统在扩大国防开支方面展现的领导力堪比美国总统唐纳德·特朗普——后者曾提议1.5万亿美元的国防开支。
“但你们的立法院必须尽到自己的职责，通过这项特别预算，这也是我想向台湾领导层传递的一个信息，”班克斯使用了台湾议会的正式名称。
“当你们在立法机构通过这项特别预算时，这将向中国乃至全世界传递一个信号：台湾认真对待以实力求和平，”他说。“我感谢赖清德总统在推动此事上发挥的领导力。”
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今年2月，包括班克斯在内的37名两党参议员联名致信台湾高级政客，对议会搁置国防开支计划表示担忧。
另有一组美国议员上周访问台北期间也传递了类似信息，敦促议会通过国防开支法案。
台湾最大反对党国民党主席郑丽文目前正在中国访问，期间可能会与中国国家主席习近平会面。
国民党表示支持国防开支，但不会签署“空白支票”，同时认为与北京对话同样重要。
赖清德告诉班克斯，台湾“热爱和平”，但唯有实力才能保障和平。
“台湾愿意开展对话，但任何接触都不能以牺牲民主、自由和国家利益为代价，”他补充道。
中国拒绝与赖清德对话，称其为“分裂分子”。赖清德驳斥了北京的主权主张，称只有台湾人民才能决定自己的未来。
本·布兰查德报道；辛西娅·奥斯特曼与凯特·梅伯里编辑
US senator urges Taiwan parliament to pass stalled defence spending plan
2026-04-09 00:51:06 UTC / Reuters
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Senator-elect Jim Banks (R-IN) meets with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (not pictured) along with other incoming Republican Senators at the U.S. Capitol House in Washington, U.S., November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
TAIPEI, April 9 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s parliament should pass a stalled special defence budget to send a signal to China and the world that it is serious about peace through strength, U.S. Senator Jim Banks said during a meeting with President Lai Ching-te in Taipei.
Lai last year proposed $40 billion in extra defence spending to counter China, which views the island as its own territory.
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Parliament, where the opposition has a majority, is continuing to debate the government’s plan and competing, less expensive proposals.
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According to a video of the meeting provided by Lai’s office, Banks, a Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told him on Wednesday that the Taiwanese president was providing leadership in expanding defence spending similar to that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has proposed $1.5 trillion in defence spending.
“But your Legislative Yuan has to do its part and pass the special budget, and that’s one message that I want to send to your leadership,” Banks added, using the formal name for Taiwan’s parliament.
“When you pass the special budget in the legislature, that is a signal to China, and to the rest of the world, that Taiwan is serious about peace through strength,” he said. “I appreciate President Lai’s leadership in making that happen.”
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Banks was one of a group of 37 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers who in February wrote to senior Taiwanese politicians expressing concern about parliament stalling defence spending plans.
A separate group of U.S. lawmakers gave a similar message urging parliament to pass the defence spending during a visit to Taipei last week.
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is currently on a visit to China where she could meet President Xi Jinping.
The KMT says it supports defence spending but will not sign “blank cheques” and that dialogue with Beijing is equally important.
Lai told Banks that Taiwan “loved peace” but only strength could ensure it.
“Taiwan is willing to engage in dialogue, but no engagement can come at the cost of sacrificing democracy, freedom, and national interests,” he added.
China refuses to speak to Lai, saying he is a “separatist”. He rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Kate Mayberry
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