Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/01/2020
By: Chen Yun-yu, Chang Chieh-chung and Joseph Yeh
Taipei, April 1 (CNA) The 10 million surgical face masks Taiwan pledged to donate to countries seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will be given to the United States, 11 European countries and 15 diplomatic allies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Wednesday.
Two million will be sent to the U.S.; 1 million to 15 allies, while the remaining 7 million masks will be donated to Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, according to a MOFA press release.
The ministry said it is also considering making similar face mask donations to other countries, namely the 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Australia, covered by the nation's New Southbound Policy, in the near future.
According to MOFA, Taiwan is also in talks with the U.S. to donate 100,000 surgical face masks per week in exchange for raw materials that can be made into 300,000 medical protective suits as part of a bilateral agreement to fight the pandemic. [FULL STORY]
