Taipei [Taiwan], June 28 : Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung on Monday informed that more 410,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered to Taiwan on June 30 amid growing tensions between the island and China.
“Yes, there is another batch of Moderna vaccines arriving on Wednesday,” Focus Taiwan quoted Chen as saying at a daily press briefing.
These vaccine doses are from the 5.05 million doses of Moderna vaccine ordered by Taiwan’s government.
Chen was likely referring to the possible intervention of China, which Taiwan has accused of interfering with vaccine deliveries to the island, a charge denied by Beijing, reported Focus Taiwan.
It further reported that in terms of the Moderna vaccine, only 390,000 of the total doses ordered by Taiwan’s government have been delivered: 150,000 doses on May 28 and 240,000 doses on June 18.
China and Taiwan have clashed recently, with China claiming Taiwan as part of its territory. China has condemned any actions by the US it perceives as challenging that claim.
China recently sent dozens of warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, even though the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taiwan has complained in recent months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. (Agency)
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