Sullivan flies to Taiwan for announcement of US vaccine distribution

three people on a podium to make speeches. Backdrop is blue and says American Institute in Taiwan.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Chris Coons and Dan Sullivan were in Taiwan for a brief visit Sunday. They announced Taiwan would receive 750,000 vaccine doses from the first allotment of 25 million doses the Biden administration is distributing worldwide. (American Institute in Taiwan)


Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan was in Taiwan this weekend with two colleagues to announce the U.S. was sending Taiwan 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Formosa TV News reported Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen received the senators — Sullivan, Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, and Chris Coons, D-Delaware — on Sunday morning.

The vaccines are part of the 25 million doses the Biden administration announced last week that it is distributing worldwide.

During their three-hour visit, Sullivan recalled deploying to the region as a Marine 25 years ago. Sullivan also noted Taiwan sent 10 million face masks to the U.S. in the early part of the pandemic. He was wearing one, and pointed out it said “Love from Taiwan.”

“And now I say this is ‘love from America’ in return,” Sullivan said, in an address posted on the website of the American Institute in Taiwan. “And we are very pleased to be here, making this important announcement on vaccines.”

Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her atlruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Lizhere.

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