67 pc Taiwanese say no to Chinese COVID-19 vaccines

As per a survey published on Saturday sixty-seven per cent of Taiwanese refused a COVID-19 vaccine produced by a Chinese manufacturer, while 24.3 per cent would accept it.

The results of the survey, conducted by Focus Survey Research, were announced at a news conference at the Howard Plaza Hotel in Taipei, reported Taiwan Times.

Of the 67 per cent who did not approve, 27.1 per cent said they "mostly disapproved," while 39.9 per cent said they "very much disapproved," it showed.

"This might be because China did not provide scientific data on its vaccines," said Wang Kun-Yi, an associate professor at Tamkang University, who heads the Strategic Study Society.

It showed that only 5.4 per cent of respondents "very much approved" if Taiwan were to import vaccines from China, while 18.9 per cent "approved."

The poll, designed by the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society and the Taiwan International Studies Association, asked people about Taiwan-China relations and Taiwan-US relations under the administration of US President Joe Biden.

Asked whether they hoped Taiwan and China could resume mengful dialogue, 77.9 per cent said they did, while 13.7 per cent said they did not, the survey showed.

"There is a contradiction in the results. The majority does not want Chinese vaccines, but a majority wants dialogue with China," added Wang Kun-Yi.

Asked whether they believe that Biden could "rely on his political experience to help the US maintain its position as a major world power," 60.9 per cent said that they believed he could, while 17.8 per cent said he could not, the study showed, reported Taiwan Times.

This shows that Taiwanese look favourably upon Biden's ability to lead," said Lo Ching-sheng, Society Executive Director.

This showed that Taiwanese still have a high degree of confidence in the US government, Chinese Culture University College of Social Sciences dean Chao Chien-min said.

"In the past, the US observed a bottom line in its relationship with Taiwan, but now there are concerns that it has instrumentalized Taiwan, which is the core of the current US-China conflict," he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken along with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had recently visited South Korea and Japan to emphasise US unity with its Asian allies, along with taking a tough stance on China.

( With inputs from ANI )