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Two Taiwan tech firms buy vaccines for the struggling nation
Two of the world’s biggest technology manufacturers are buying 10 million COVID vaccines for Taiwan
Foxconn, which makes devices for Apple and chip giant T-S-M-C have entered agreements for the BioNTech vaccine worth $350million
Taiwan has been trying for months to buy the vaccine from Germany’s BioNTech and blames China for blocking a deal.
China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory has long denied those accusations.
The agreements will see the tech manufacturing companies buy five million doses of the vaccine each and donate them to the government for distribution.
BioNTech developed the mRNA vaccine in collaboration with the US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer.
Taiwan’s government has faced intense pressure from the public to speed up its coronavirus vaccination program.
Only 0.3 percent of the population has received a vaccine.
Last week, Taiwan’s President said the government aims to have 25% of its population vaccinated with at least one dose of a two-shot jab by the end of July.