Taiwan to distribute 10 million masks to deal with Coronavirus

Washington Examiner:

Taiwan’s ability to donate millions of face masks to the United States and other nations allows the beleaguered island government to use the coronavirus pandemic to resist Chinese pressure, diplomatic sources say.

“It's kind of mask diplomacy,” an Asian diplomat, who assessed the diplomatic situation on condition of anonymity, told the Washington Examiner. “Taiwan will be better off by creating counter coronavirus cooperation with the international community, not only with allies but also with other countries as well.”

China is also trying to curry favor internationally by providing medical equipment to the world.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen pledged this week that the island will distribute 10 million masks to more than two dozen countries around the world. Two million of the masks will go to the United States, but Tsai will also be a benefactor for 11 European nations, as well as the 15 governments that recognize Taipei as a sovereign government.

“Taiwan will take concrete actions to prove to the international community that the world needs Taiwan and that Taiwan will not be absent,” Taiwanese diplomatic officials said in a bulletin detailing the donations.
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This comes after countries noticed that China had been sending them faulty gear and equipment in response to the Coronavirus.  Taiwan has also been extremely effective in controlling the disease even though it is only a few miles from the mainland.