Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of China's Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council. Photo: VCG

 
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council strongly condemned the remarks against the mainland-made vaccine by the mainland affairs council (MAC) on the island, saying it showed again the MAC’s malicious intent to incite conflicts.

“Providing the vaccine to Taiwan compatriots living in the mainland is based on caring and treating them fairly, and is a response to the wishes of most Taiwan compatriots,” Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Monday.

The vaccination will be voluntary, she stressed. “Taiwan compatriots have the right to choose whether to take the vaccine.”

People from Taiwan are included in the priority groups to receive COVID-19 vaccines, Zhu announced earlier on Wednesday. 

An MAC spokesperson said after Zhu’s announcement that people should be wary of risks from mainland-made vaccines, and that Taiwan people “should not be used as vaccine test subjects,” local media reports on the island said.

Safety and efficacy were prioritized in the development process of the vaccine and by the end of 2020, more than 4.5 million doses were administered, Zhu noted, adding that the efficacy of the vaccine meets the relevant standard requirements from the WHO and the Chinese national drug regulator.

Global Times