Taipei
CNN
—
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said the island of self-restraint democracy was willing to provide support to help China deal with the Covid surge after Beijing eased its hardline approach last month.
China has abandoned its restrictive zero-Covid stance after nearly three years, scrapping snap lockdowns, contact tracing, compulsory testing, and quarantines that had severely restricted people coming and going.
But a sudden exit from zero Covid could lead to nearly a million deaths, as the country faces an unprecedented wave of infections spreading from big cities to rural areas, according to new research.
In her New Year’s address, President Tsai said, “Based on humanitarian needs, we will provide necessary assistance (to China) as needed, so that more people can overcome the pandemic and welcome a healthy and peaceful New Year. I will do it,’ he said.
However, she did not elaborate on the form of assistance Taipei would provide.
China’s Covid policy U-turn caught citizens and the healthcare system off guard as some pharmacy shelves were cleared of cold and fever medicines and hospitals rushed to deal with an unprecedented surge in infections. I was poked.
China also announced last week that it would lift quarantine requirements for international arrivals and resume overseas travel for Chinese citizens from Jan. caused concern.
Countries such as the US, Japan and South Korea have moved to impose restrictions, while countries such as France and the UK are ready to welcome Chinese tourists, who were a major driver of international tourism before the pandemic. I made it clear that there is
In her New Year’s message, President Tsai called on Beijing to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, saying it was the common responsibility and expectation of the entire region.
“War is not an option to solve problems. Only through dialogue, cooperation and a common goal of promoting peaceful development and regional stability can we bring security and well-being to more people. ”
China’s ruling Communist Party considers Taiwan, a democratically ruled island of 24 million people, to be part of its own territory, even though it never ruled. It has long promised to “reunify” mainland China and the islands.
Tensions across the Straits have risen sharply over the past year.
When U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last August, China lashed out at the foreign ministry, saying the visit would “severely affect the political foundation of Sino-U.S. relations.”
Shortly after she landed on Taiwan, Beijing launched an unprecedented series of military exercises around the island.
