方恩格專欄》國防部應拒絕美援軍備

美國在臺協會提供的照片顯示美國國防部2023年運交臺灣的設備，包括受損發黴的防彈衣及防彈板。（圖片來源：美國之音／美國國防部監察長辦公室）

美國國防部監察長在最近所發佈的一份報告中，揭露了美國總統以「總統撥款權」名義贈送給臺灣武器、彈藥及其他軍事物資的糟糕情形，令臺灣許多人感到驚訝。監察長確定，這些美國國防部交付給臺灣的「總統撥款」物資並無執行任務的能力，因此，這不但阻礙了美國國防部實現安全合作目標，還有可能會降低臺灣對美國的信心。

然而，有鑑於以下幾個顯而易見的原因，這個情況並沒有讓筆者感到意外。

當美國國會議員首次提出可以以「總統撥款權」的名義將防衛設備贈送給臺灣時，筆者就始終在臺灣的政論節目上或是在投稿文章中，保持一致的立場。這個立場很簡單：如果美國提議要免費贈送槍械、彈藥或其他軍事設備給臺灣的話，臺灣應該要表示「謝謝，但不用了」。

爲何筆者會持這個立場呢？原因如下。

首先，接受這些來自美國的捐贈需要耗費時間；臺灣軍方必須要先花時間開箱檢查設備，並判斷哪些設備「狀況良好」，而哪些設備發黴、過期或因爲其他原因無法正常運作。可想而知，臺灣軍方應該有比這更重要的事情需要花時間去處理。

其次，臺灣已經生產了一些美國作爲贈品提供的設備。擁有數十年駐臺經驗的美國軍事記者顏文德（Wendell Minnick）在其 Substack 帳號「China in Arms」上所發表的文章中指出，臺灣國防部軍備局生產製造中心第205廠已經生產了M240機槍，並將其稱爲「T74」。然而，不知爲何，美國還是贈送了好幾把M240機槍給臺灣。根據監察長的報告，雖然美國軍方規定要求軍事用品的運送需要有良好的包裝和緩衝，但是運送到臺灣的M240機槍卻是被直接鬆散地放置在一個大紙箱中。

第三，臺灣目前贈送給邦交國和其他友好國家，或是出售給友好國家的槍械和彈藥，與美國贈送給臺灣的種類相似。究竟爲什麼臺灣會接受與自身提供給其他國家的免費援助或銷售的槍支與彈藥如此相似的禮物，緣由爲何目前尚不清楚。

第四，臺灣是一個非常富有的國家，擁有足夠的現金支付自身的國防支出。每年中央政府預算的增幅就足以證明，臺灣政府有足夠的資金來支持國防事務。事實上，臺灣的年度中央政府預算中涵蓋了許多不必要的基礎建設支出（英文稱之爲「白象工程」，中文則稱之爲「蚊子館」），還有對各種社會福利的補貼，例如住房補助、育兒和醫療保健等。

第五，也是最重要的一點，臺灣接受美國的免費軍事設備贈品，這傳遞給美國的訊息簡直不堪入目。這意味着臺灣在自身國防上投入的不足，所以纔會需要免費的贈品。這同時也暗示了臺灣不知道應該要怎麼去規畫國防支出，因此必須要靠「美國爸爸」才能決定臺灣需要什麼來保護自己。與此同時，這也傳達出臺灣對於如何自衛毫無主見，所以纔會笑納美國送來的所有裝備。

這真的是臺灣想傳達給美國、中國以及世界各國的訊息嗎？

總而言之，臺灣沒必要在美國面前裝可憐。臺灣真正想要傳達給美國的訊息應該是：臺灣已經做好萬全準備，並且願意採取任何行動，包括花費財務成本，來自我捍衛，而不需要美國的免費施捨。

換個角度看，如果臺灣的政府和人民不願意採取必要的手段去保衛自己，無論是支出財務成本或是其他自我防衛的方式，那麼另一種選擇就是現在乾脆直接向中國大陸投降好了。

此外，如果川普贏得美國總統大選，他將會更直言不諱地指出臺灣應該花多少錢在自身防衛上。我們從川普在七月的言論中便可以看出這一點，他呼籲臺灣應該要增加國防支出，但是卻被臺灣媒體報導成他要求臺灣向美國支付「保護費」。

從9月22日起，美臺商業協會便會開始舉辦年度美臺國防工業研討會。這將會是一個臺灣向美國表達其不再需要免費軍事設備贈品的絕佳機會。

綜上所述，筆者強烈建議賴清德總統、國防部長顧立雄，以及國安會秘書長吳釗燮拒絕未來任何來自美國的任何軍事設備「贈品」。

（作者爲美國共和黨前亞太區主席，許淳恩翻譯）

Please Taiwan, Stop Accepting US Military Handouts

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad

X: @RossFeingold

The recent United States Department of Defense Inspector General report about the terrible condition of weapons, ammunition, and other military supplies “gifted” to Taiwan under the U.S. president’s “Presidential Drawdown Authority” has come as a shock to many people in Taiwan. The Inspector General determined that the United States Department of Defense’s delivery of non–mission-capable “presidential drawdown” items to Taiwan inhibits the United States Department of Defense’s ability to achieve its security cooperation goals, and risks degrading Taiwan’s confidence in the United States.

However, for obvious reasons explained below, this situation comes as no surprise to this author.

When it was first proposed by members of the United States Congress that the United States could use “presidential drawdown authority” to gift defense equipment to Taiwan, this author immediately took a consistent position when appearing on political talk shows in Taiwan or in his written analysis of events in Taiwan. This position is very simple: Taiwan should say “Thank you, but no thank you” if the United States proposes to give Taiwan free gifts of guns, ammunition, or other military equipment.

Why did this author take this position? There are several reasons.

First, accepting gifts of such donations from the United States takes time. Taiwan’s military must spend time opening the boxes sent by the United States, inspecting the equipment, and trying to determine what equipment is in “good working order”, and which equipment in the free gift is moldy, has passed its expiry date, or is otherwise not in good working order. Surely Taiwan’s military has better things to do with its time.

Second, Taiwan already makes some of the equipment that the United States supplied as a free gift. As the American defense journalist Wendell Minnick, who has decades of experience in Taiwan, wrote in an article published on his Substack account “China In Arms”, the Taiwan’s 205th Arsenal already manufactures the M240 machine gun as the “T74”. However, for reasons that are not known, the United States gifedt to Taiwan several M240 machine guns. According to the Inspector General’s report, the M240 machine guns shipped to Taiwan loose were loose in a large cardboard box without any wrapping or cushioning, even though applicable United States military rules required wrapping or cushioning.

Third, Taiwan currently gifts to its diplomatic allies and other friendly countries, or sells to friendly countries, guns and ammunition manufactured in Taiwan that are similar to the guns and ammunition that the United States gifted to Taiwan. It is unclear why Taiwan would accept gifts of guns and ammunition that are so similar to what Taiwan provides as free aid, or sells, to other countries.

Fourth, Taiwan is a very wealthy country with sufficient money to pay, in cash, for its own defense. The annual increase in the central budget (including the defense budget) confirms that Taiwan’s government has more than enough money to fund Taiwan’s national defense. Indeed, Taiwan’s annual central government budget includes large amounts of money spent on things like unneeded infrastructure and buildings (known in English as “white elephants” and in Mandarin as “mosquito buildings”), subsidies for many types of social spending including housing assistance, childcare, and health care,

Fifth, and most importantly, by accepting free military equipment gifts from the United States the message that Taiwan sends to the United States is, simply, terrible. It says Taiwan doesn’t spend enough on its own defense and needs free gifts. It says Taiwan doesn’t know what to spend on its defense and needs rely on “Daddy USA” to decide what Taiwan needs to defend itself. It also says that Taiwan doesn’t have its own opinion about what equipment is needed to defend Taiwan, and will instead accept whatever the United States sends.

Is this really the message that Taiwan wants to send to the United States, China, and the rest of the world?

In conclusion, there is no need for Taiwan to pretend to be unfortunate in front of the United States. Surely the message that Taiwan wants to send to the United States is that Taiwan is prepared, and willing, to do what is necessary, including the financial cost, to defend Taiwan, without the need for free handouts from the United States.

To look at this another way, if the government and people of Taiwan are not willing to do what is necessary to defend Taiwan, regardless of the financial cost and without the need for free handouts from the United States, the alternative is to surrender now to the mainland.

Furthermore, if President Trump wins the United States presidential election, he will be more outspoken with regard to how much Taiwan should spend on its own defense. We know this from Trump’s remarks in July when he called on Taiwan to spend more on its own defense, which the Taiwan media reported as Trump demanding that Taiwan pay the United States a “protection fee”.

Beginning on September 22 is the annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference organized by the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council. This will be an ideal opportunity for Taiwan to tell the United States that no more free gifts of defense materials are necessary.

This author strongly urges President Lai Ching-te, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo, and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, to reject any future “gifts” from the United States of military equipment.