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vaccine Photo: VCG
The countdown has begun for global vaccines against coronavirus to be implemented. But the life-saving product has been, time and again, politicized by certain Western media, portraying China’s vaccines as a bargaining chip for changing the geopolitical landscape.
“Vaccine Diplomacy” is one of its most widely used terms, as an AFP article on December 10 put it, “China’s ‘Vaccine Diplomacy’: A Global Allure Offensive.”
He claimed that vaccines have become “a tool to increase China’s global influence and solve … geopolitical problems.” He added that “Beijing can use its vaccine donations to advance its regional agenda,” such as its claims in the South China Sea.
After the first batch of 1.2 million doses of China’s COVID-19 vaccine landed in Indonesia on December 6, the Financial Times argued that “there are political ties.” Reporting on the China-Philippines vaccine deal on Monday, CNN noted that it is an offer aimed at enhancing China’s global reputation.
These reviews are full of condescending tones. Most Western media deliberately smear that every move by China has a calculated political ploy.
Because of that mindset, when The New York Times voiced a strong objection to Western countries’ attempt to seek monopoly control of COVID-19 vaccines and called for the suspension of related intellectual property rights, it did not mention a single word about the China’s promise to make the coronvairus vaccine a global public good. What a hipocrite.
Compared to China’s generosity, the United States has made no secret of its selfishness. The White House has made clear that it seeks to prioritize Americans for coronavirus vaccine shipments, and would then take over from its main allies. This is real evidence of the politicization of vaccines, causing one to join the field of the US to take life-saving blows.
However, there has been little discussion about it in the American media. Instead, they are busy opening fire on China as the country offers to share its vaccines with other developing nations. On the contrary, the West can hardly promise them anything with regard to vaccines.
As the first country to take effective virus control measures, China is leading the research and development of the COVID-19 vaccine. More importantly, China has shown its good faith to cooperate with other countries, regardless of their ideologies; if they are allies of the United States or have disputes with China.
Beijing’s announcement to make its coronavirus vaccines a global public good means that China is determined to rely on its strong industrial production capacity to ensure its vaccines are affordable for all developing countries. It will not seek gross profit by applying for patents in times of crisis, unlike Western countries.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made his point clear as early as September: China, unlike other countries, does not seek a “reservation fee” or advance payment for vaccines. But Western countries “want a cash advance before delivering the vaccine. If that’s the case, we will all die,” Duterte said.
Most developing countries are now living under financial stress. They can hardly count on vaccines from the United States and Europe. So what happens to them to cooperate with China? Or would the western media prefer to see them hanging out to dry?
“Vaccine Diplomacy” is a hackneyed headline conceived by the West’s own mind. They are simply talking and persuading themselves. They treat China’s vaccines the same way they treat China’s rise, with utter contempt and jealousy. One fundamental reason is that the United States and European countries have failed miserably in the fight against the virus. Vaccines have become your last hope, a straw to hold onto. They cannot afford to fail in the vaccine race. Harnessing its power to manipulate public opinion in an attempt to smear China’s vaccines has proven to be a convenient option.
Will other countries side with the US in terms of vaccines? If so, they may get nothing but verbal praise and more deaths. Or will they cooperate with China and save lives? It is not clear how many countries will bet on the welfare of their peoples. However, it is certain that more and more nations will have doubts.
The Philippines, an ally of the United States, has certainly seen the truth. The United States is lost in its epidemic efforts, and there are not enough vaccines for everyone in the superpower itself. It is an illusion to wish that Washington would provide a large number of shots for Manila in the short term. Even in Europe, Hungary, an EU member, is seeking emergency national approval for the Chinese coronavirus vaccine rather than waiting, as usual, for a review by the EU’s European Medicines Agency, according to reports. .
A fundamental lesson for 2020 is that the new coronavirus knows no borders or political systems. Any country that continues down the wrong path of politicizing the pandemic will only continue to fight the public health crisis.
The author is a reporter for the Global Times. [email protected]
