Taiwan asks other APEC members for help on COVID-19 vaccines
ROC Central News Agency
07/16/2021 11:56 PM
Taipei, July 16 (CNA) Taiwan on Friday urged APEC members with large vaccine production capabilities to help Taiwan and other countries in the region meet urgent vaccine needs, according to Morris Chang (張忠謀), Taiwan's representative to this year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
Chang, the founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., represented President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the APEC Informal Leaders' Retreat, hosted virtually by New Zealand earlier Friday.
At a press conference held at Taiwan's Presidential Office building after the virtual retreat, Chang read out what he said during his 4-minute statement at the APEC event, and part of the message was that Taiwan does not have enough vaccines.
"We need help. Our vaccination coverage at present is less than 20 percent," Chang said, stressing that while U.S. and Japan have donated vaccines and private entities have procured some, "we still need more vaccines, and need them sooner," he said.
His statement was directed at other APEC members that produce more vaccines than they need, and later said at the press conference that the U.S., China and Japan were capable of exporting vaccines.
But he did not reveal their reactions to Taiwan's plea, saying the leaders cannot reveal what they talked informally about at the retreat.
Another message in Chang's statement was free trade.
"On re-vitalizing the post-COVID economy, Chinese Taipei urges free trade among APEC members and in the world, after giving consideration to vital national security needs," Chang said, using the name under which Taiwan is a member of APEC.
He said people noted with concern that some countries want self-sufficiency or "on-shoring" of semiconductor chips, which would result in higher production costs and slow down technology development.
He said the ever greater complexity of the technology has caused the supply chain to go "offshore," and it would be highly impractical to try to turn back the clock.
"We do recognize national security concerns, and believe that for security applications, a self-sufficient supply chain within one's own borders is prudent," he said.
"However, for the much larger civilian market, a supply chain substantially based on a free trade system is by far the best approach," he argued.
Chang was named by Tsai on Tuesday as Taiwan's representative to this year's APEC forum, and he will attend the regional leader's summit for a fourth year in a row.
He was also given the same task by then-President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in 2006.
Taiwan's presidents are not able to attend the summit because of the opposition of China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and balks at any situation that suggests Taiwan is a sovereign state.
(By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Emerson Lim)
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