U.S. gives 1.5 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan

Sherritt International

31/10/2021 12:30

By Michael Martina
    WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States is
delivering an additional 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to
Taiwan, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters,
increasing to 4 million the total number of shots donated by
Washington to the self-ruled island, which is under increasing
pressure from China. 
    The new delivery of Moderna Inc  MRNA.O  doses will depart
from Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday aboard a flight belonging
to Taiwan's China Airlines, the official said.
    "Our vaccines do not come with strings attached" and were
not donated to "secure favors or extract concessions," the Biden
administration official said, in an apparent reference to
criticism that Beijing is trying to strengthen its geopolitical
clout through so-called vaccine diplomacy.
    The official added that Taiwan was a "vital partner" on
global health issues.
    The United States gave 2.5 million doses to the island
claimed by China in June, making it among the first
international recipients of U.S. vaccines.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2O109X
    At the time, U.S. officials said China was attempting to
block vaccine purchases by Taiwan for political reasons, which
Beijing denied. 
    Japan, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Lithuania
also have donated COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, where about 70%
of the population has received at least one dose, according to
Taiwan media. Only about 30% of the country's 24 million people
have been fully vaccinated. 
    Under pressure to share its coronavirus vaccine supply with
the rest of the world, the United States has donated 200 million
doses to more than 100 countries, the White House said earlier
in October.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2RH03H
    Taiwan, a key hub in the straining global technology supply
chain, grew at its slowest pace since the second quarter of 2020
in the July-September period as coronavirus curbs to contain a
local outbreak hit consumption.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2RP0LZ
    The United States, which like most countries has no formal
diplomatic relations with Taiwan, has watched its rising
tensions with Beijing with alarm. President Joe Biden's
administration has vowed to boost ties with the island, which 
under U.S. law Washington is required to supply with the means
of defense.

 (Reporting by Michael Martina
Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
 ((michael.martina@thomsonreuters.com;))