BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines coming to Taiwan, Chinese agent says

TAIPEI - The Chinese sales agent for Germany's BioNTech SE said on Sunday it had signed a deal to provide 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, part of a drawn-out and highly politicised process for the island to access the shots.

Taiwan's government has tried for months to buy the vaccine directly from BioNTech and has blamed China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory, for nixing an agreement the two sides were due to sign earlier this year. China denies the accusations. Last month, facing public pressure about the slow pace of Taiwan's inoculation programme, the government agreed to allow Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of Taiwan's Foxconn , as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), to negotiate on its behalf for the vaccines, which would be donated to Taiwan's government for distribution.