Kchuo Li-lin, director of the Taiwanese company Autoland Technology, has confirmed that his company is donating five fully automated high-end face mask production lines to the Czech Republic, in a letter he sent to Senate President Miloš Vystrčil.
The Taiwan media reported on the production lines’ donation during Vystrčil’s visit to Taiwan in early September. The fight against coronavirus was one of the topics of the visit of the Senate, scientific and business delegation. For example, during a tour of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan’s largest research institution, its representatives told Vystrcil that the institute had managed to prepare 90 production lines in Taiwan in a matter of weeks. Their production thus increased from two million to 20 million per day.
At the beginning of September, Lidovky reported that five production lines donated by Autoland should provide facial protection for approximately 120,000 medical workers and save the Czech Republic up to CZK 5 billion a year. Together with Autoland Technology, a group of major industrial companies from the southern part of Taiwan contributed to the donation.
In a letter to Vystrčil, Kchuo writes that his company has already sent technicians to the Czech Republic and will discuss the technical details with the Czech side. At the same time, however, he notes that many administrative procedures need to be resolved, which require the assistance of the Czech government. Kchuo hopes that everything will be arranged as soon as possible so that the plane can land in Prague by the end of October. The equipment could be delivered and installed by mid-November.
The Taiwan trip was repeatedly criticized by President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Andrei Babis. China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province, has sharply opposed it.