Taiwan’s most senior representative in Japan has commented on media reports suggesting Japan might supply Taiwan with COVID-19 vaccine doses. Frank Hsieh made the comments in a Facebook post on Friday after two Japanese newspapers reported the story on Thursday.
Sankei Shimbun claims in a long report published May 27 that Japan is planning to send surplus doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan. That’s if it can guarantee enough doses of other vaccines for its own citizens. That was accompanied by a report from another newspaper, Mainichi Shimbun, that says the delivery plans are already at an advanced stage.
Frank Hsieh is Taiwan’s de-facto ambassador to Japan. On Friday, Hsieh responded to the reports in a Facebook post, writing that he is “not in a position to comment or confirm” the story. Hsieh says that deals of this kind are normally a “low-key operation” in order to avoid potential interference by other countries. He says any deal would require finalizing a number of important details, including the quantity, time, and delivery method of the doses. Hsieh says nothing is for sure until the vaccine doses arrive in Taiwan.
Hsieh also says Taiwan and Japan have a long history of helping each other in times of disaster. He says this is a “virtuous cycle”. Hsieh says Taiwan is very grateful for Japan’s goodwill.