A plane carrying more than a million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has landed in Taiwan from Japan. The flight’s arrival on Friday afternoon comes after Japan’s government decided to donate the doses to Taiwan in order to help the country face an ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.
Recent days have seen intense media speculation concerning reports that Taiwanese and Japanese officials were in discussions over a vaccine supply deal. That culminated in the announcement on Thursday afternoon that Japan would send 1.24 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Taiwan within 24 hours.
Flight JL809 left Narita International Airport at 11:00 am Taiwan time on Friday morning, and arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport just before 2:00 pm.
Taiwan is the first country to receive a vaccine donation from Japan. Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu says Japan’s government answered Taiwan’s call for assistance by providing the vaccines for free. He says Japan still remembers Taiwan's offers of aid and support following the deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry says it speaks for the government and the people in expressing its most sincere thanks. It says Taiwan and Japan have developed a firm friendship built on helping one another in times of crisis.
The donation by Japan more than doubles Taiwan’s total supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses.