TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As Taiwan and the U.S. step up their cooperation on the development of drugs and vaccines to battle the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), Taiwan has pledged to donate 100,000 face masks per week to the U.S., while the U.S. is reserving 300,000 hazmat suits for Taiwan.

On Wednesday (March 18) Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said that once production levels stabilize, Taiwan will supply 100,000 surgical face masks to the U.S. weekly. For its part, the U.S. will be reserving 300,000 hazmat suits for Taiwan in the event that it requires them.

During a press conference held by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday, Wu said that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, Taiwan and the U.S. will further strengthen cooperative consultation mechanisms to fight against the disease. After the press conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto American embassy, issued a joint statement on the partnership, which will be signed by Wu and AIT Director Brent Christensen.

Mask factory in New Taipei. (CNA photo)

The document states that Taiwan and the U.S. will strengthen joint consultation and cooperation on combating the COVID-19 pandemic, "which originated in Wuhan," in the research and development of rapid tests, vaccines, and medicines. The partnership will also include contact tracing techniques and technology, joint conferences by scientists and experts, and exchanges of medical supplies and equipment.