TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Centers for Disease Control on Monday denied a report claiming a Chinese firm controls most of Taiwan’s medical cold chain.
Mirror Media reported that Kerry TJ Logistics Co. manages logistics for about half of Taiwan’s medium-to-large hospitals and that its major shareholders are linked to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the People's Liberation Army. The report also said Kerry’s Xizhi cold-chain center handles CDC pandemic supplies, raising concerns that Taiwan’s medical logistics system could be exposed to China, per CNA.
The CDC said pandemic supplies have always been handled by publicly selected, qualified vendors under the Government Procurement Act. Kerry’s contract ended in 2024, and all supplies have since been transferred to a Taiwanese contractor selected for 2025.
CDC Spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said being awarded a contract only shows that a vendor meets qualifications, and multiple companies collaborate to support logistics. Currently, Kerry only transports cold-chain shipments for BCG vaccines and a small portion of influenza vaccines under public-funded programs.
She added that the company also handles less commonly used immune products such as snake antivenom, rabies immunoglobulin, and measles immunoglobulin. Most vaccines are transported by other domestic firms, contrary to claims that Kerry dominates the supply chain.
Tseng said current procurement and pharmaceutical regulations do not restrict vendors based on Chinese investment. To strengthen resilience, future projects could establish backup systems within the regulatory framework to ensure stable supply during emergencies.
She added that future contracts will include provisions under Article 21 of the Personal Data Protection Act to restrict overseas transfer of vendor data and prevent leaks of sensitive information such as transport routes and warehouse locations.
