The Netherlands Trade and Investment Office presented a gift of 3,999 tulips to Taiwan’s medical workers on Monday, King’s Day, the Dutch National Day.
The office delivered orange tulips and stroopwafels, a quintessential Dutch delicacy, to 35 places, including hospitals that are caring for COVID-19 patients and Taoyuan International Airport.
The gifts were also sent to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), where they were shown at the daily press conference hosted by Health Minister Chen Shih-chung. Chen said, "(The gifts) represent our friendship".
The office thanked the workers "for their determined contribution, generous sharing, and vigilant gatekeeping," which it said has "created another Taiwan miracle and deepened the friendship between the Netherlands and Taiwan."
This month, Taiwan gave seven million masks to the European Union, including 600,000 to the Netherlands. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said that Taiwan’s increased production of masks has not only provided enough for its own citizens, it has also enabled Taiwan to help other countries.