Taiwan accuses China of 'stirring division' among its citizens amid COVID-19 spike

Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Sunday slammed China after Beijing offered rapid antigen test kits following a spike in COVID-19 cases in the island country. The MAC accused Beijing of attempting to "stir division" among the citizens while China is itself reeling under a massive outbreak of coronavirus in Shanghai. China should "worry about its own citizens, many of whom are suffering under a lockdown before it attempts to cause division in Taiwanese society," the MAC said, as quoted by Taiwan News.  

"We regret that the Chinese Communist Party wants to use recent Taiwan's rapid antigen test kits to stir division," the MAC said, adding that it will not impose stringent measures to curb the COVID outbreak in the nation. "Taiwanese are still free to eat, shop, travel, and celebrate Mother's day," it mentioned.

MAC's response comes after the spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglin said Taipei should negotiate with Chinese companies for more rapid antigen test kits, Taiwan News reported. "We are very concerned about the lives and health of our compatriots on the island and hope that the epidemic will end as soon as possible and life will return to normal," the Liberty Times quotes Zhu as saying.

However, MAC retorted to Zhu's comments by saying, the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) will adhere to the COVID-related norms implemented under Ma Ying-jeou's administration to procure more RAT test kits. The council added that Taipei will secure supplies of test kits from "legal sources" while maintaining stable prices and sufficient supply. The Council further lambasted Beijing for its draconian lockdowns imposed on the financial and economic hub of the country, triggering severe food shortages and protests in the city of 25 million residents.

Security experts urge Taiwan to bolster defences in East

Meanwhile, in the wake of China's attempted incursion into the Taiwan Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), experts on Sunday recommended Taipei bolster its eastern defences. Noting the significant threat posed on the eastern coast of the island nation, an associate professor of National Chengchi University's College of International Affairs, Chen Wen-chia warned that the recent appearance of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning near the ADIZ was a "direct challenge" to the island as well as the US and Japan's Indo-Pacific strategy, the Liberty Times reported.

The recommendation comes shortly after 18 Chinese military aircraft flew over Taiwan ADIZ on Friday. The fleet included, six J-11 fighter jets, six J-16 fighter jets, two Xi'an H-6 bombers, two KJ-500 airborne early warning, and control aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, and one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft invaded the airspace, reported Taiwan News reported, citing Ministry of National Defence of Taiwan. In retaliation, Taiwan's Air Force dispatched aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defence missile systems to track the Chinese aircraft.

(Image: AP)