Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, second right, gestures as he welcomes U.S. senators to his right Democratic Sen Christopher Coons of Delaware, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Sen Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Republican Sen Dan Sullivan of Alaska, members of the Armed Services Committee on their arrival at the Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan on Sunday Photo: AP pool
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U.S. senators promise vaccines for Taiwan amid China dispute

31 Comments
By TAIJING WU and ZEN SOO

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31 Comments
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The positive Trump legacy lives on, as now other countries gain benefits as a result of his vaccine program.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The likes of kissinger and brzezinski plan not in 5 or 10 yrs but in 50,60,100 yrs. Read brzezinski the grand chessboard and game plan. They know average jo won’t read it so the are scarily honest.

All you offer are conspiracy mongering.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I am not convinced of the merit of taking any of these vaccines (I still think treatment options should be explored more), but if it have has to be a vaccine, certainly the CCP produced Sinovax is the last thing I would want in my body.

My wife and I are vaccinated and by now fully immune. We were given the Moderna vaccine. Aside from a sore arm for a few days nothing bad happened. Now we don't have to worry so much. More people need to be vaccinated so a normal life can resume.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Next gesture from the US should be recognizing Taiwan diplomatically as an independent nation.

First of all the US cannot recognize anyplace as an independent nation if they are not themselves seeking independence. The Chinese have made it very clear that any such declaration would immediately lead to war, and from the Chinese point of view it would be gloves off, all hands on deck and every weapon available including nuclear weapons kind of war. It would not be a geographically constrained limited war. Regardless of who eventually won, Taiwan would be burned to a crisp and most Taiwanese would be dead. Nobody wants to go there most of all the Taiwanese. That is reality, not wishful thinking. Taiwan understands their limits and for now maintains the position that the ROC is the true legitimate government of all of China as they are the heirs of Sun Yat-sen's revolution against the Xing. It is a balancing act.

What the US could do is start rotating USAF fighter squadrons, even bomber squadrons and US Navy patrol squadrons through Taiwan as part of their deployment cycle. Not permanent basing, just US forces rotating through Taiwanese bases. The US Navy should start rotating its battle groups and amphibious groups through Taiwanese ports. A PLA General said about two years ago that if a US CSG dropped anchor in a Taiwanese port China would attack immediately. Challenge that. I don't think they would really do it. Their air force should be invited to some Red Flag exercises (Taiwan Air Force trains their F-16 pilots in Arizona btw right alongside Singapore Air Force) with the consent of the other nations that would participate. In fact a Red Flag exercise with several US allies and the Taiwanese would make a huge statement of international support for Taiwan. The US sent a US Navy transport aircraft to Taiwan last year to test the waters. We may see more.

In the end however I am betting Taiwan and the ROC outlives the CCP. In another 20 years China's demographics and its many economic distortions plus their alienation of foreign investors is going to take the fire out of the dragon's breath. They won't be able to afford to cash the checks Mr. Xi is writing. China is a pressure cooker of pent up anger among the general population. It is going to blow and probably in my life time. When that happens you just might see the ROC return to Beijing.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I am not convinced of the merit of taking any of these vaccines (I still think treatment options should be explored more), but if it have has to be a vaccine, certainly the CCP produced Sinovax is the last thing I would want in my body.

If that is the choice, give me Pfizer or Sputnik anytime.

Sputnik is being produced in China!

I'll pass on that, too!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I am not convinced of the merit of taking any of these vaccines (I still think treatment options should be explored more), but if it have has to be a vaccine, certainly the CCP produced Sinovax is the last thing I would want in my body.

If that is the choice, give me Pfizer or Sputnik anytime.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

China is beginning to look like an apartheid state, if it's not already one.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Desert TortoiseToday  01:46 pm JST

Kissinger planned this back in 73 with Nixon handing over manufacturing to Mao. Make China the aggressor and have WW3, its in he post now!

China didn't open to the world economically until after Mao was dead. It was Deng Xiaoping who began courting western companies. Mao was completely against anything that even resembled capitalism. However in 1969 China and the Soviets nearly went to war. The Soviets even went to a nuclear alert and Mao, wanting to protect his own infant nuclear program from destruction, backed down. On his way back from the funeral of Ho Chi Minh Alexi Kosygin stopped in Beijing. Mao refused to meet him but Zhou Enlai met him at the airport where a meeting ended the conflict. Mao, however, burned with hatred for Brezhnev and saw in the US the same sort of alliance of convenience the US saw. For the US, having the Chinese as apparent allies kept a lot of Soviet divisions tied down on the Chinese border instead of threatening NATO. 

It would be well into the 1980s before western firms started to set up shop in China and even then China remained primitive.

The likes of kissinger and brzezinski plan not in 5 or 10 yrs but in 50,60,100 yrs. Read brzezinski the grand chessboard and game plan. They know average jo won’t read it so the are scarily honest.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Ping An

No one hinders Taiwan from buying vaccines. Taiwan can buy BioNTech via Fosun whereas Fosun is the sole distributor for Greater China Region. Fosun has invested USD50 million at BioNTech on March 2020 and secured this right. The co-operation between Biotech and Fosun was even earlier than Pfizer US.

Unfortunately, your logic does not make since because Taiwan does not consider nor claim to be apart of the Greater China Region or mainland China! That is why Taiwanese have their own passports and Chinese visitors need one and visa to visit Taiwan.

The same reason why other asian countries like Taiwan are purchasing vaccine from US Pfizer and BioNTech directly. They do not trust China!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

China planned to make it difficult for Taiwan to acquire vaccines, so they could swoop in and save the day with some conditions. China has been trying to extort other countries and in Western Europe, Africa and Central/South America, too!

China has been trying the same soft-power/PR stunt since this pandemic started. They have been giving away their ineffective vaccine, and now, they will produce Sputnik, too!

China's COVID-19 vaccines don't appear to be effective at preventing outbreaks in the real world

https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinas-covid-19-vaccines-dont-123035757.html

This is the reason why China has refused to publish anything about their vaccine! Using China's vaccine is no different than letting my children play with lead-based painted toys from China.

Wealthy Chinese are traveling to the US for medical tourism to get vaccinated. Once again, it is supported by the CCP.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Yes, a nice and friendly gesture…but someone also provide simplest education. 750,000 vaccine doses are by far not even sufficient for the biggest city Taipei. And yes, that’s still valid if you add the help from Japan.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

after the self-ruled island complained that China is hindering its efforts to

....the "self-ruled island" is it now. We can´t upset our overlords by speaking the verboten word "country" can we. The CCP is indeed on a roll.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

No one hinders Taiwan from buying vaccines. Taiwan can buy BioNTech via Fosun whereas Fosun is the sole distributor for Greater China Region. Fosun has invested USD50 million at BioNTech on March 2020 and secured this right. The co-operation between Biotech and Fosun was even earlier than Pfizer US.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

China is accusing Japan and USA of pretending to be good people by sending vaccines to Taiwan - while seeking to prevent Taiwan to get the vaccines they need.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Democratic nations, despite sometime differences in opinions and positions, are friends in time of need. Autocracies on the other hand have no real friends, only adversaries and those subservient to their power.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Brilliant move by the US. Taiwan knows they are loved by the free world, who are helping them through this pandemic.

Next gesture from the US should be recognizing Taiwan diplomatically as an independent nation. Having Taiwan in the WHO and UN will make the whole region a better and safer place.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

The Republican who I excluded from the “they” (Democrats) I’m not sure about.

Read the article. Who is Dan Sullivan?

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Kissinger planned this back in 73 with Nixon handing over manufacturing to Mao. Make China the aggressor and have WW3, its in he post now!

China didn't open to the world economically until after Mao was dead. It was Deng Xiaoping who began courting western companies. Mao was completely against anything that even resembled capitalism. However in 1969 China and the Soviets nearly went to war. The Soviets even went to a nuclear alert and Mao, wanting to protect his own infant nuclear program from destruction, backed down. On his way back from the funeral of Ho Chi Minh Alexi Kosygin stopped in Beijing. Mao refused to meet him but Zhou Enlai met him at the airport where a meeting ended the conflict. Mao, however, burned with hatred for Brezhnev and saw in the US the same sort of alliance of convenience the US saw. For the US, having the Chinese as apparent allies kept a lot of Soviet divisions tied down on the Chinese border instead of threatening NATO.

It would be well into the 1980s before western firms started to set up shop in China and even then China remained primitive.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

assuming they admit Taiwan is a country, this is great. 

They are Democrats, so not really sure how they feel about Taiwan yet.

Read the article. Who is Dan Sullivan?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

He said China continues to try block Taiwan's international assistance and prevent it from participating in the World Health Organization. "We are no strangers to that kind of obstructionism," he said.

China has done more harm than good to the WHO and needs to be punished.

Glad that real democracies are stepping in to help Taiwan.

And I can’t say it enough, Wonderful country, wonderful people!!!

11 ( +12 / -1 )

I’m glad they are sending the vaccine to them.

Hey, USA, can you send some common sense and a bit of intelligence to the Japanese government too?

They really need both.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

I'm curious how China will respond to US helping Taiwan. China is probably thinking "How dare America interfere in our business of making life miserable for Taiwanese people."

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Great, just don’t tell Cena.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Hey China,

Taiwan is a country. Does not need your permission.

Defined border.

Constitution with set executive, parliament, and judiciary.

Population that approves nationality.

National currency that is converted internationally.

Flag for sovereign vessels and nation.

BTW, free Tibet and Hong Kong.

18 ( +21 / -3 )

assuming they admit Taiwan is a country, this is great.

They are Democrats, so not really sure how they feel about Taiwan yet.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

I agree

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, members of the Armed Services Committee, and Democratic Sen. Christopher Coons of Delaware

Bravo to this group of Democrats and Republicans!

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Kissinger planned this back in 73 with Nixon handing over manufacturing to Mao. Make China the aggressor and have WW3, its in he post now!

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

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