Opinion | Vaccine inequality: if not for China, would the West even be tackling it?
- It is hard to imagine the West stirred into such action in the absence of China’s aggressive vaccine diplomacy. Still, developing countries are benefiting, especially in Africa
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed, in the starkest terms possible, the different approaches of the two economic systems – capitalism and socialism – towards humanity.
Whereas the Western world has been more preoccupied with the narrow self-interest of taking care of its citizens and the maximisation of profit by big pharmaceutical companies, China is more focused on how to save humanity – rich or poor – by sharing its vaccines and know-how.
The Chinese government identified vaccine inequality as an opportunity to provide leadership. China framed itself as a solution by projecting itself as a multilateral power and leader of the global south.
It embarked on an aggressive distribution of its vaccines before they were cleared by the World Health Organization. It shipped supplies to more than 80 countries. African and Asian countries received free vaccines, while most medium-income countries paid for their doses.
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Inside a plant in China producing the WHO-approved Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine