Taiwan donated 200,000 surgical masks to Thailand during a ceremony April 20 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Taipei City, demonstrating the country’s commitment to helping the world combat COVID-19.
Presiding over the ceremony, Deputy Foreign Minister Hsu Szu-chien emphasized that no country can stand alone against the threat coronavirus presents to the world. With Taiwan and Thailand facing many of the same challenges amid the pandemic, Hsu expressed hope the two nations can collaborate in the future on epidemic prevention measures.
Taiwan has gained global recognition for its timely and effective response measures, Hsu said, adding that the country is willing and able to share its expertise with like-minded partners such as Thailand, a target country of the government’s New Southbound Policy.
Upon receiving the donation, Executive Director of Thailand Trade and Economic Office Thongchai Chasawath thanked the Taiwan government for its generosity and vowed to prioritize hospitals in hard-hit areas when distributing masks, especially those in the three southern provinces neighboring Malaysia.
A key plank in Taiwan’s national development strategy, the NSP seeks to bolster agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (TYT-E)
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