Taiwan will donate 2 million hospital masks to the United States in an expanded effort to provide hard-to-find medical supplies to nations afflicted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The masks are expected to arrive next week. Half will be provided to the federal government, and the remainder will be divided between individual states, according to a statement by Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado.
“Over the past months, we have seen countless acts of bravery and sacrifice from medical workers around the world,” Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announced. “It is our duty as global citizens to give them our full support.”
Tsai’s face-mask pledge nearly coincides with reports that the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile of medical supplies is running low as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surges in the U.S. Her announcement builds on an agreement last month to trade 100,000 masks per week in exchange for access to U.S. hazmat equipment.
“We will donate surplus masks and other supplies to our allies and countries that [are] hit hardest by COVID-19,” Tsai said. “These supplies will go to medical workers on the front lines who are working around the clock to save lives.”
Taiwanese officials have been coordinating the assistance with Gardner, who chairs the Foreign Relations subcommittee for Asia. “We’ve been talking to Taiwan about this capacity and that capacity and getting that into the United States,” Gardner, a Colorado Republican, told the Washington Examiner during a recent interview. “We’ve been very engaged on that front, on the masks and the extra capacity.”
Face masks and other personal protective equipment have been in short supply at hospitals throughout the U.S., where a shortage of testing kits in the early days of the outbreak left medical workers unprepared for a worsening coronavirus outbreak. Taiwanese officials contained the virus by launching a rapid-response plan in January, when they suspected that Chinese officials in the province where the pandemic originated were not being candid about the outbreak.
“They didn’t let us see what they didn’t want us to see, but our experts sensed the situation was not optimistic,” Taiwanese government spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said last month.
More recently, Taiwan’s medical supply manufacturers have expanded their mask production to more than 8 million per day. Chinese officials, who claim sovereignty over Taiwan and oppose U.S. relations with the island government, warned Taipei not to try to turn the donations to any diplomatic advantage.
“If the Taiwan region can and wants to help, I believe we are all glad to see it,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters Wednesday. “But if anyone in Taiwan seeks to politicize the pandemic, I would advise them to think twice and act prudently.”
China has also sought to portray itself as trying to help other nations deal with the pandemic, sending supplies overseas.
Taiwanese officials renewed their argument that the coronavirus pandemic shows that China was wrong to force the World Health Organization to revoke the island government’s ability to participate in WHO meetings.
“Taiwan also has a responsibility to stand on the front line and assist others,” Taiwan’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a Wednesday bulletin. “’Taiwan can help!’ is not just a slogan; Taiwan can in fact make a real difference through concrete action.”
“I would like to thank all of Taiwan on behalf of the medical professionals in Colorado who desperately need the masks that Taiwan is graciously donating,” said Gardner, whose state will receive 100,000. “Taiwan is more than willing to help the world beat the COVID-19 pandemic, and this incredible act of generosity is further reason that Taiwan should be granted observer status at the World Health Organization.”
