Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Sunday that China’s lockdowns to combat the spread of COVID-19 are “cruel,” and that Taiwan will not follow suit.

Taiwan has been grappling with an increase in domestic illnesses caused by the Omicron variety since the beginning of this year, after successfully controlling the pandemic with strict border controls and quarantines.

But with more than 99% of those having mild or no symptoms, a handful of deaths so far and high vaccination levels, the government has moved to ease restrictions as it seeks normalcy and to gradually reopen the island of 23 million people to the outside world.

Taiwan’s giant neighbour China, by contrast, has enacted tough lockdowns in Shanghai and tightened controls in capital Beijing.

Speaking during a visit to Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control, Su said their pandemic-containment measures had been “praised by the world”.

“We will not lock down the country and cities as cruelly as China,” he said, adding Taiwan’s methods were “gradual”.

“We have a plan, and there is a rhythm to it.”

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and the two have rarely missed an opportunity to exchange barbs during the pandemic.

Last week, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Taiwan’s new model of handling the pandemic would lead to many deaths.

Life has continued mostly as normal in Taiwan, though there has been disruption to some schools, and the government is eyeing further easing of quarantine rules.

All arrivals into Taiwan have to isolate for 10 days, rules that large parts of Asia have already ditched.