BEIJING: Despite the good news that the COVID-19 vaccine has been effective in trials, the life-saving product has, time and again, been politicized by certain Western politicians, who portray China’s vaccines as a bargaining chip to expand political influence. “Vaccine diplomacy” is the term certain Western critics often like to use. They claim that the vaccine has become a tool to increase China’s global influence and iron out geopolitical issues.
The latest accusation of China’s “vaccine diplomacy” comes after allegations like “COVID-19 originated in a lab in Wuhan” and “mask diplomacy,” which have the same intention. Going by their nature, they are in line with their bias against China.
These voices, however, do not represent the mainstream view. China has made the solemn and consistent commitment that once developed and deployed, its vaccines will be made global public goods and supplied to the world at fair, reasonable prices.
Xulio Rios, director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics in Spain, said China has been accused of using the COVID-19 vaccine as a strategic tool to silence criticism, but this is not the case. Certain western countries want to win the vaccine race at all costs, and that’s why they denigrate China for no reason. The fact is that China, one of the first few countries that started to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, did not develop the jab with the purpose of spreading political influence in other countries. What China has done is actually promote international cooperation in vaccines. As early as May, China had promised that COVID-19 vaccine development and rollout in the country will be made a global public good, which will be China’s contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.
– The Daily Mail-China Daily News exchange item
