By end of June, the COVID-19 vaccination progress was 8.4% according to Our World in Data in Taiwan. According to official numbers, there are around 15 000 number of people get infected and 661 number of people have passed away. While there is a shortage of vaccination in the world, every vaccination counts. Therefore, it takes our attention why Japan send vaccination to Taiwan while Japan only vaccinated 25% of the public.
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Japan already donated 1.24 million doses to Taiwan and plans to share additional 1 million doses in July (ref: The politics of Japan’s Taiwan vaccine donation | Coronavirus pandemic News | Al Jazeera). The donations are actually an important move to echo the U.S. campaign of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to counter China's geopolitical clout in the region. Taiwan has accused China of blocking its access to foreign vaccines, which Beijing denies. The island, which China claims as its own territory, also received 2.5 million vaccine doses from the United States this month.
There are two reasons for Japan to do so. First; Japan is drawing on 120 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine it has reserved, as it has no immediate plans to use the shots at home amid lingering concern over international reports of blood clots. Second; Geopolitics - Beijing regards Taiwan – a self-governing island that lies 161km (100 miles) off the Chinese coast – as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its goal. It has taken an increasingly assertive stance since Tsai was first elected in 2016, claiming that she wants independence for the island’s 23.6 million people, and tensions have risen as traditional allies, including the United States, rallied to support Taiwan. And Tokyo gets increasingly nervous about rising China power in the region. Therefore, Japan has been forging security ties with countries like Australia, India and reinforcing ties with US. And vaccination aid is a way to demonstrate that Japan has an interest in the continued de facto independence and security of Taiwan.
As we forecast, there will be more alliance to gather around US and regional powers as China emerges as not only regional but global power. Thus, contribute emerging tension in the region.
