Taiwan's Foxconn and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) said on Monday they had agreed to buy 10 million doses of Germany's BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The total cost of the deal is reported to be about $350 million. Taiwan's government has tried for months to buy the vaccine directly from BioNTech. The government of Taiwan has blamed mainland China for barring an agreement it was supposed to sign with the company earlier this year. China denies that it blocked the vaccine sale. Mainland China claims the self-ruled island as its own territory. BioNTech’s sales agent in mainland China, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group, said Sunday that an agreement had been signed. But it did not give details of when the vaccines would be provided. Terry Gou is the chairman of Foxconn. Gou wrote on his Facebook page that he was thankful the deal had been completed. Foxconn and TSMC will each buy 5 million doses. Foxconn will buy its vaccines through the YongLin Foundation. The doses will be donated to the government which will then supply them to medical services. Gou said, "But we can't relax, because we will continue to work hard to push for the delivery time and quantity." Taiwan’s government agreed to permit the technology companies to negotiate for the vaccines because of public pressure about its vaccine program. Taiwan's Cabinet said the vaccines would be donated at no cost to the government. Cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said BioNTech signed the contract on Sunday. He said that the government was already looking to buy more from both AstraZeneca and Moderna. Taiwan wants to buy 15 million next generation vaccines from Moderna for 2022 and 2023. The United States and Japan have together donated almost 5 million doses to the island to help speed up vaccinations.
Title: Tech Companies Buy COVID-19 Vaccines for Taiwan
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Tech Companies Buy COVID-19 Vaccines for Taiwan' data-article-id='5748'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='21083'>Taiwan's Foxconn and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) said on Monday they had agreed to buy 10 million doses of Germany's BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. </span> <span data-start-time='21083' data-end-time='27958'>The total cost of the deal is reported to be about $350 million.</span> <span data-start-time='27958' data-end-time='34833'>Taiwan's government has tried for months to buy the vaccine directly from BioNTech. </span> <span data-start-time='34833' data-end-time='45042'>The government of Taiwan has blamed mainland China for barring an agreement it was supposed to sign with the company earlier this year.</span> <span data-start-time='45042' data-end-time='49271'>China denies that it blocked the vaccine sale. </span> <span data-start-time='49271' data-end-time='55313'>Mainland China claims the self-ruled island as its own territory.</span> <span data-start-time='55313' data-end-time='66271'>BioNTech’s sales agent in mainland China, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group, said Sunday that an agreement had been signed. </span> <span data-start-time='66271' data-end-time='71354'>But it did not give details of when the vaccines would be provided.</span> <span data-start-time='71354' data-end-time='75563'>Terry Gou is the chairman of Foxconn. </span> <span data-start-time='75563' data-end-time='81917'>Gou wrote on his Facebook page that he was thankful the deal had been completed. </span> <span data-start-time='81917' data-end-time='88354'>Foxconn and TSMC will each buy 5 million doses. </span> <span data-start-time='88354' data-end-time='93563'>Foxconn will buy its vaccines through the YongLin Foundation. </span> <span data-start-time='93563' data-end-time='100750'>The doses will be donated to the government which will then supply them to medical services.</span> <span data-start-time='100750' data-end-time='110042'>Gou said, "But we can't relax, because we will continue to work hard to push for the delivery time and quantity."</span> <span data-start-time='110042' data-end-time='121000'>Taiwan’s government agreed to permit the technology companies to negotiate for the vaccines because of public pressure about its vaccine program.</span> <span data-start-time='121000' data-end-time='127729'>Taiwan's Cabinet said the vaccines would be donated at no cost to the government.</span> <span data-start-time='127729' data-end-time='135438'>Cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said BioNTech signed the contract on Sunday.</span> <span data-start-time='135438' data-end-time='143375'>He said that the government was already looking to buy more from both AstraZeneca and Moderna. </span> <span data-start-time='143375' data-end-time='153500'>Taiwan wants to buy 15 million next generation vaccines from Moderna for 2022 and 2023.</span> <span data-start-time='153500' data-end-time='162875'>The United States and Japan have together donated almost 5 million doses to the island to help speed up vaccinations.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/B.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17746 data-hint-location='100750' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/what_does_it_mean_to_relax.wav'>What does it mean to relax?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='to permit something to become weaker, to reduce attention'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/to_permit_something_to_become_weaker_to_reduce_attention.wav'><span>to permit something to become weaker, to reduce attention</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/to_contaminate_with_harmful_or_poisonous_substances.wav'><span>to contaminate with harmful or poisonous substances</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/obtain_in_exchange_for_payment.wav'><span>obtain in exchange for payment</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/move_downward_typically_rapidly_and_freely_without_control_from_a_higher_to_a_lower_level.wav'><span>move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17747 data-hint-location='27958' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/what_did_taiwans_government_blame_for_blocking_a_previous_vaccine_sale.wav'>What did Taiwan's government blame for blocking a previous vaccine sale?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='China'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/the_united_states.wav'><span>The United States</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/china.wav'><span>China</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/peru.wav'><span>Peru</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/japan.wav'><span>Japan</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17748 data-hint-location='153500' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/the_united_states_and_japan_have_together__blank__almost_5_million_doses_to_the_island_to_help_speed_up_vaccinations.wav'>The United States and Japan have together <span class='blank'>donated</span> almost 5 million doses to the island to help speed up vaccinations.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='donated'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/destroyed.wav'><span>destroyed</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/fired.wav'><span>fired</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/donated.wav'><span>donated</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5202/looked.wav'><span>looked</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button 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