Pfizer’s Vaccine Gets Caught in the Middle of China-Taiwan Fight
- President Tsai ‘rejects outside interference’ in vaccine drive
- Beijing accuses Taiwan of turning ‘blind eye’ to shortfall
Healthcare workers at a temporary rapid Covid-19 testing site in Taipei on May 17.
Photographer: Billy H.C. Kwok/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Taiwan’s government faces mounting pressure to work with China to obtain Covid-19 vaccines, a politically unpalatable option for officials in Taipei struggling with an outbreak that risks disrupting tech supply chains.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s administration this week ruled out attempts by some local officials to directly obtain Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccines from Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. The China-based drugmaker, which has an agreement to develop and distribute them in the greater China region that includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, has repeatedly said it wants to supply the BioNTech vaccine to Taiwan.