Taiwan offers masks and medical aid to foreign countries, angering Beijing
- Self-ruled island has been frozen out of the World Health Organisation but its strong response to Covid-19 has helped raise its profile
- Taipei has offered to donate 10 million face masks to countries that are battling the outbreak
Taiwan has intensified its efforts to raise its global profile by offering to donate urgently needed face masks and medical aids to other countries – a move that has angered Beijing.
Observers said Taiwan’s efforts to control the Covid-19 outbreak had highlighted the strengths of its medical system and increased its visibility on the world stage.
It has also been praised by world leaders, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying the EU is thankful for Taiwan’s efforts and gestures of solidarity, while the US state department described Taiwan as a true friend.
But Beijing’s response was less complimentary. Foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said Taiwan prohibited the export of masks when the outbreak was at its height on the Chinese mainland, and said the island should not play any “political tricks” to gain accession to the World Health Organisation.
She said that Chinese companies and individuals had also donated medical supplies to the US, and questioned why there had been no official recognition of those efforts.
