TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Presidential Office on Friday (Sept. 3) thanked Japan for a scheduled fourth COVID-19 donation to Taiwan, expected later this month.
Japan Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu announced at a news conference Friday that his country was donating 440,000 jabs to Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan, CNA reported. The vaccine doses are to be flown to the three countries in early September, according to the report.
Even though Japan also needs AstraZeneca doses for its domestic inoculation campaign, it has continued announcing donations to Taiwan, showing proof of true friendship, a presidential spokesman said.
Responding to the plan, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) chief Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said a list should be drawn up of Japanese citizens in Taiwan so they can receive the vaccines, though all details will only be announced once it becomes clear how many doses Japan is sending. The three previous donations totaled 3.34 million jabs, while some reports said the latest batch would reach 60,000 doses.