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DPA
Taipei
Taiwan has asked Germany for help in getting Covid-19 vaccines, hinting that its current efforts to boost the production of semiconductor chips - which would help German carmakers - could be a down payment towards help in fighting the coronavirus.
Wang Mei-hua, Taiwan’s minister of economic affairs, said on Thursday that she had contacted Thomas Prinz, director general of the German Institute Taipei, about the possibility of acquiring Covid-19 vaccines from Germany.
Wang said that Prinz promised to pass on the request back to the German government, the state-run Central News Agency reported.
On Wednesday, Wang conducted a meeting with four major semiconductor chipmakers in Taiwan, where they agreed to optimize production to make more of the chips, badly needed by carmakers in the European Union, Japan and US. In addition to recent requests from global major carmakers, Wang also received a letter from German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, asking her to push manufacturers to boost output.
On Thursday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said in a statement that the supply chain is “long and complex” but it is addressing chip supply challenges affecting the automotive industry as its top priority.
“While our capacity is fully utilized with demand from every sector, TSMC is reallocating our wafer capacity to support the worldwide automotive industry,” the company said.
Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung, who heads Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said on Wednesday that he welcomes all possibilities to acquire vaccines, including trading semiconductor chips for vaccines.
A Taipei-based think tank, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, originally bought up this idea, prompting the CECC comment.
Wang on Wednesday declined to link the chip and the vaccine. But on Thursday she told reporters that she had mentioned vaccines to Prinz.
Taiwan, an island of 23.6 million people, has done well in containing the coronavirus. As of Thursday, Taiwan has reported just 895 coronavirus cases, including 71 locally transmitted ones, with seven virus-related deaths.
In December, Chen said that Taiwan has ordered about 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, which may be available in March, and that Taiwan aims to acquire at least 30 million doses.
On Wednesday, Chen said Taiwan is still trying to purchase an additional 5 million doses from overseas.
Taipei
Taiwan has asked Germany for help in getting Covid-19 vaccines, hinting that its current efforts to boost the production of semiconductor chips - which would help German carmakers - could be a down payment towards help in fighting the coronavirus.
Wang Mei-hua, Taiwan’s minister of economic affairs, said on Thursday that she had contacted Thomas Prinz, director general of the German Institute Taipei, about the possibility of acquiring Covid-19 vaccines from Germany.
Wang said that Prinz promised to pass on the request back to the German government, the state-run Central News Agency reported.
On Wednesday, Wang conducted a meeting with four major semiconductor chipmakers in Taiwan, where they agreed to optimize production to make more of the chips, badly needed by carmakers in the European Union, Japan and US. In addition to recent requests from global major carmakers, Wang also received a letter from German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, asking her to push manufacturers to boost output.
On Thursday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said in a statement that the supply chain is “long and complex” but it is addressing chip supply challenges affecting the automotive industry as its top priority.
“While our capacity is fully utilized with demand from every sector, TSMC is reallocating our wafer capacity to support the worldwide automotive industry,” the company said.
Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung, who heads Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said on Wednesday that he welcomes all possibilities to acquire vaccines, including trading semiconductor chips for vaccines.
A Taipei-based think tank, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, originally bought up this idea, prompting the CECC comment.
Wang on Wednesday declined to link the chip and the vaccine. But on Thursday she told reporters that she had mentioned vaccines to Prinz.
Taiwan, an island of 23.6 million people, has done well in containing the coronavirus. As of Thursday, Taiwan has reported just 895 coronavirus cases, including 71 locally transmitted ones, with seven virus-related deaths.
In December, Chen said that Taiwan has ordered about 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, which may be available in March, and that Taiwan aims to acquire at least 30 million doses.
On Wednesday, Chen said Taiwan is still trying to purchase an additional 5 million doses from overseas.
