TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Without Chinese interference, Taiwan would receive coronavirus vaccines even faster, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Tuesday (May 18).

The government agency was responding to comments from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office that vaccine supply to the island would go even more smoothly if “certain manmade political barriers were removed,” Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

MAC Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) replied that China should not pretend to care or offer "false sympathy," as Taipei would obtain sufficient vaccines if Beijing refrained from interfering. He added that supposed calls for the Taiwanese government to allow the import of Chinese-made vaccines only represent a minority opinion reflecting Chinese government propaganda.

The opinion does not represent Taiwan, so China should not misinterpret calls for Chinese vaccines, the MAC deputy minister said. He added that the Taiwanese public should listen to the professional advice of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).