TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan is helping its sole diplomatic ally in South America, Paraguay, to buy COVID-19 vaccines, Taiwan\u2019s Foreign Ministry said, after protests in the country over the Paraguayan government\u2019s handling of the health crisis.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Paraguayans have protested in the capital Asunci\u00f3n over the lack of medicine and intensive care beds amid a spike in coronavirus cases and calls to impeach President Mario Abdo. Vaccines have been slow to arrive.<\/p>\n
Only 15 countries have formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, and Taipei has long been nervous at Beijing\u2019s efforts to entice away its remaining friends.<\/p>\n
In a statement late on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said Taiwan was extending a helping hand to Paraguay at a time when it was facing a public health crisis and unable to obtain enough vaccines.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the friendship between Taiwan and Paraguay, under the existing bilateral cooperation framework, we are assisting Paraguay to negotiate and obtain vaccines through different channels,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Taiwan\u2019s first vaccines – 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca shots – arrived on the island earlier this month, though they have yet to start being administered.<\/p>\n
In December, Taiwan said it had agreed to buy almost 20 million vaccine doses, including 10 million from AstraZeneca.<\/p>\n
Ou said the help they were offering Paraguay \u201chad nothing to do\u201d with the AstraZeneca vaccines Taiwan has purchased.<\/p>\n
China views democratic Taiwan as one of its provinces, with no right to the trappings of a state.<\/p>\n
The United States has expressed concern at Beijing\u2019s efforts to win over Taiwan\u2019s remaining allies and expand Chinese influence, especially in Latin America which Washington traditionally views as its backyard.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Paraguay to work with Taiwan to overcome the pandemic.<\/p>\n