Don't seek political manipulation, says China after US sends vaccine to Taiwan

After the Biden administration sent 2.5 million vaccine jabs to Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said the "US should not seek political manipulation in the name of vaccine assistance."

China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the US should stop interfering in "China's domestic affairs".

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Taiwan had earlier accused China of hampering its vaccine gathering drive as COVID-19 cases have surged in the country.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in a Twitter message thanked the US government, saying: "Thank you to the #US for this moving gesture of friendship. These vaccines will go a long way toward keeping #Taiwan safe & healthy."

The US sent more vaccine doses to Taiwan than was originally promised earlier. The vaccination drive in Taiwan has been going slowly due to a shortage of doses with only six per cent of the population having received the jabs.

Amid Taiwan's battle with the virus, the US government decided to triple the vaccine doses to the country.

"Wheels up! Our donation of 2.5 million vaccine doses is on the way to Taiwan," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a tweet.

China and the United States have repeatedly clashed over relation with Taiwan with tensions rising in the Taiwan Straits over the US aircraft carriers travelling through the troubled waters.

China considers Taiwan as a breakaway province, however, the US has enured arms sale to the country in order to keep Chinese influence at bay even though it does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Last week, Chinese jets entered Taiwan's airspace leading the Taiwanese Air Force to scramble its jets as tensions continued between the two countries.

(With inputs from Agencies)