Alexander Yui, director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, at a news conference in Taipei yesterday accused Chinese COVID-19 vaccine suppliers of trying to persuade Paraguay to cut ties with Taiwan. Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei TimesThe government is helping Paraguay purchase vaccines through different channels, and it is opposed to any other party offering vaccines to its ally with conditions, he said. Taiwan did not “transfer” 2 million vaccine doses to Paraguay that it plans to purchase from AstraZeneca, as some media reports have alleged, Yui said. Yui also cited a statement by the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs that referred to it being pressured to sever ties with Taipei. The Paraguayan ministry also said that India and Qatar had promised to donate 200,000 doses of the Covaxin vaccine and 400,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to the country respectively.

Source: Taipei Times March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC