Sharjah24 – Reuters: The United States is delivering an additional 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters, increasing to 4 million the total number of shots donated by Washington to the self-ruled island, which is under increasing pressure from China.

The new delivery of Moderna Inc doses will depart from Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday aboard a flight belonging to Taiwan's China Airlines, the official said.

"Our vaccines do not come with strings attached" and were not donated to "secure favors or extract concessions," the Biden administration official said, in an apparent reference to criticism that Beijing is trying to strengthen its geopolitical clout through so-called vaccine diplomacy.

The official added that Taiwan was a "vital partner" on global health issues.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen thanked the United States and said the donation showed that the U.S. support for Taiwan was "rock-solid."