Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen offers China corona aid now that the country is facing a serious wave of infection. The offer is surprising as relations between Taiwan and China have deteriorated again over the past year.
“As long as there is a need, we are ready to provide needed assistance based on humanitarian concerns,” Tsai said in his New Year’s speech. She hopes Taiwan’s aid will “help more people emerge from the pandemic” and contribute to a “safe and healthy New Year”.
China abandoned its strict zero-covid policy in December, three years after the pandemic began. Hospitals are filling up, crematoria are working overtime and pharmacies are out of fever medication. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s speech on Saturday that “the light of hope is right before us” as the pandemic’s handling of the pandemic enters “a new phase”.
Resolutely fought
The day before, Xi had said that Beijing has “fought resolutely against separatist efforts to pursue ‘Taiwan independence’ and against the intervention of external forces in this affair”. Taiwan seceded from the rest of China in 1949 after a civil war, which sees the island as a renegade region that will one day have to be forcibly annexed if necessary.
On the relationship with China, Tsai said war is never the way to solve problems. He has asked for dialogue, something Beijing is rejecting with the Taiwanese government. Tsai further said that China’s military activities near Taiwan are not contributing to regional peace and stability.
Source: BNR
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