The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) blasted China for attempting to "stir division" in Taiwan.
The MAC said that China should worry about its own citizens, many of whom are suffering under a lockdown, before it attempts to cause division in Taiwanese society, reported Taiwan News.
The strong response from MAC comes after China offered test kits amid Taiwan's spike in COVID infections while its own people still suffering from lockdowns.
The spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, said that since COVID cases have skyrocketed in Taiwan over recent weeks, Taiwanese medical enterprises should negotiate for more rapid antigen test kits from Chinese companies, reported Taiwan News.
Beijing is willing to provide assistance, Zhu stated. "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 return to normal," the Liberty Times quoted her as saying.
The MAC responded that Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) will follow the same regulations that it has since the Ma Ying-jeou administration to acquire more test kits.
The Health Ministry will continue to find legal sources for these and maintain stable prices as well as sufficient supply, the council added.
The MAC emphasized that the Taiwanese are still free to eat, shop, travel, and celebrate Mother's Day. "We regret that the Chinese Communist Party wants to use the recent issue of Taiwan's rapid antigen test kits to stir division," it said.
The council said the Taiwanese should take pity on those in China who are forced to undergo lockdowns.
In the garb of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using the Shanghai lockdown to implement the most draconian of its surveillance and authoritarian systems, the kinds of which were only seen in far-off provinces like Xinjiang till now.
The draconian movement curbs on Shanghai, an economic and financial hub, have caused frustration among its 25 million residents and triggered rare protests over issues such as access to food and medical care as well as loss of income.
While some people have been let out for light and air in recent weeks, residents for the most part say they still cannot leave their housing compounds, reported Taipei Times.
( With inputs from ANI )
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