US vaccine donation to Taiwan may help avoid chip factory shutdowns
The United States is donating 750,000 vaccine doses for COVID-19 to Taiwan in a program to distribute shots worldwide, a move that may also help improve the ongoing global chip shortage by avoiding a complete lockdown for the country.
Announced at Songshan Airport in Taipei as part of a visit by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, Dan Sullivan, and Christopher Coons, the donation will be part of the first batch of doses donated abroad b the United States as part of the program.
"It was crucial to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognize your urgent need and we value this partnership," Duckworth said at a news conference according to Reuters.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked the U.S. for the donation, before declaring "While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicines are delivered free from trouble from Beijing."
While China has offered Chinese-produced vaccines, Taipei is concerned about their safety. Taiwanese law also bans the import of vaccines from China.
The U.S. donation follows a similar act by Japan, which donated 1.24 million doses on Friday.
As of Sunday, around 3% of the 23.5 million people in Taiwan have been vaccinated, and the majority have only received the first of the two required shots. The country is also in the midst of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The pandemic's problems in Taiwan are expected to make the situation worse for the global chip shortage, with infections shutting down two factories of key Apple supplier King Yuan Electronics on Friday. The country is currently at COVID-19 warning level 3, one below a complete lockdown, which threatens more facility shutdowns throughout the country.
COVID-19 continues to be a problem for Apple suppliers around the world. On May 31, the Vietnam government asked firms to help secure vaccines for workers at factories.
Follow all of WWDC 2021 with comprehensive AppleInsider coverage of the week-long event from June 7 through June 11, including details on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS Monterey and more.
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Announced at Songshan Airport in Taipei as part of a visit by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, Dan Sullivan, and Christopher Coons, the donation will be part of the first batch of doses donated abroad b the United States as part of the program.
"It was crucial to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognize your urgent need and we value this partnership," Duckworth said at a news conference according to Reuters.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked the U.S. for the donation, before declaring "While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicines are delivered free from trouble from Beijing."
While China has offered Chinese-produced vaccines, Taipei is concerned about their safety. Taiwanese law also bans the import of vaccines from China.
The U.S. donation follows a similar act by Japan, which donated 1.24 million doses on Friday.
As of Sunday, around 3% of the 23.5 million people in Taiwan have been vaccinated, and the majority have only received the first of the two required shots. The country is also in the midst of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The pandemic's problems in Taiwan are expected to make the situation worse for the global chip shortage, with infections shutting down two factories of key Apple supplier King Yuan Electronics on Friday. The country is currently at COVID-19 warning level 3, one below a complete lockdown, which threatens more facility shutdowns throughout the country.
COVID-19 continues to be a problem for Apple suppliers around the world. On May 31, the Vietnam government asked firms to help secure vaccines for workers at factories.
Follow all of WWDC 2021 with comprehensive AppleInsider coverage of the week-long event from June 7 through June 11, including details on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS Monterey and more.
Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider," and you'll get the latest AppleInsider Podcast. Or ask your HomePod mini for "AppleInsider Daily" instead and you'll hear a fast update direct from our news team. And, if you're interested in Apple-centric home automation, say "Hey, Siri, play HomeKit Insider," and you'll be listening to our newest specialized podcast in moments.
Comments
The rich nations hoarded the vaccines.
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world-57316898
You’re first out of the blocks accusing Taiwan of being a “trouble maker.” Welcome to the forum dear member of the Chinese Communist Party!
Or, aspiring member of the Chinese Communist Party.
The one China policy is effectively dead. The US will pay lip service to it but support for Taiwan is going to be stronger than ever.
The only good thing about the PRC system is that if you are high enough up then in a purge they DO send you to prison so maybe 20 years later you can be habilitated. As opposed to being executed by antiaircraft guns like in North Korea.
Taiwan is a tiny little island the size of New Jersey that has little importance other than Winnie the Pooh wants to go down in history as the bear that “reunified” China.
Whatever you want to say about the DPP, they never sent in tanks to crush a student protest in Tiananmen Square. There are asshats from the PRC that are so brainwashed that they don’t believe that it happened or that the students deserved it.