A Chinese mainland spokeswoman said on Monday that the mainland hoped Taiwan residents could receive COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible after an island company and foundation signed a deal with the Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a leading semiconductor producer, and the Yonglin Foundation, founded by Foxconn Founder and CEO, Terry Guo, signed an initial deal with Fosun on Friday to tackle a vaccine shortage cause by the recent outbreak, island media reported.

Shanghai Fosun signed a contract with German company BioNTech in March 2020 to participate in the research and development of vaccine products and has exclusive rights to distribute the vaccines to the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that the deal with Fosun is the only way for Taiwan to acquire BioNTech vaccines, and the company has already publicly expressed its willingness to help Taiwan compatriots with vaccines.

"Any willing county, city, and nongovernmental organization and enterprise on the island can negotiate with Fosun for vaccines in accordance with normal business rules, and we hope that the people of Taiwan will be able to use the urgently needed vaccines as soon as possible,” she said.