Taiwan receives third shipment of million COVID-19 vaccines from Japan
Jul 15, 2021
Taipei [Taiwan], July 15 : Taiwan on Thursday received the third shipment of one million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Japan to help the country fight the pandemic.
Japan has so far donated a total of 3.3 million vaccine doses since June. While thanking Japan, Taiwan called the country a 'real friend'.
"Good things truly come in threes. The 3rd shipment of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Taiwan from Japan brings the Real Friend's donated total to 3.3 million since June. The government and people are forever grateful, and wish our special partner a successful Tokyo 2020. Thank you," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted.
So far, Taiwan has reported 15,346 coronavirus case, Focus Taiwan reported. Out of the total cases, 13,900 are domestic infections reported since May 15. Till now, 759 people have died of COVID-19, including 747 since May 15.
On Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi had said that Japan will make a third COVID-19 vaccine donation to Taiwan of 1 million AstraZeneca doses on July 15. Motegi had said the 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered on Thursday.
This support in form of vaccines by Japan comes amid Beijing's uptick in military activity around Taiwan which lies at the western end of the Japanese archipelago.
China continues to claim Taiwan as its own territory and has never ruled out the use of force to capture the island.