Reuters
Date: January 30, 2020
By: Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan repeated its offer to help China fight the new coronavirus on Thursday, but said it also wanted China to help send back to the island some 400 Taiwanese who have been stranded in the epicenter city of Wuhan by a lockdown.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak, in Taipei, Taiwan January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Fabian Hamacher

Self-ruled Taiwan has close economic and cultural links with China and has so far reported nine cases of the virus, which started in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and where most of the 170 deaths to date have occurred.

But political relations are tense. China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan, which it considers its own territory to be taken by force if needed, including holding military drills near the democratic island.    [FULL  STORY]