Asian Tech Press (Jan 13) -- BioNTech partner Fosun Pharma has delivered 13.33 million doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan in 2021, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council in mainland China confirmed on Wednesday.

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. ("Fosun Pharma", 02196: HK) was approved to supply mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Fubitai (or BNT162b2) to Taiwan, which was developed by German company BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX).

During a regular press briefing held by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday, a Taiwanese reporter claimed that many Taiwanese people believe that the German vaccine Fubitai was donated by companies or religious organizations on the island, and asked how these vaccines supplied to Taiwan are related to the mainland China."

In response, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said, "We have always supported the BNT162b2 vaccine, also known as Fubatai, which Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group participated in the development and exclusive distribution of, to serve the people of Taiwan and effectively safeguard the lives and health and well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait."

She also mentioned that Fosun Pharma supplied and shipped a total of 15 batches of 13.33 million doses of the Fubitai vaccine to Taiwan in 2021, and the exact time and quantity of these 15 batches of vaccines arriving in Taiwan can be accessed on the internet.

After the news circulated on the Internet, some mainland Chinese netizens questioned on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo on Thursday, "Is the Fubatai vaccine good or not? If it is good, why doesn't the mainland China use it itself? If it is not good, why give the bad vaccine to Taiwan compatriots?"