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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen – Photo: REUTERS
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that Cambodia would order the first batch of the COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX initiative, but did not choose China’s Sinovac vaccine.
Hun Sen said he only trusted and accepted WHO-approved vaccines. “Cambodia is not a garbage can and it is not a place to test vaccines,” said Hun Sen.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Health had to clarify Hun Sen’s statement that the prime minister does not plan to avoid the use of Chinese vaccines, but buys only vaccines approved by the WHO.
Sophal Ear, professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental School in Los Angeles (USA), said that the explanatory measure of the Ministry of Health is due to the anxiety of Phnom Penh to anger Beijing.
“Of course they never want to insult their Chinese patron. So they blame the media for putting words in Hun Sen’s mouth,” Ear said.
Ms Sovinda Po, a senior researcher at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said there were three reasons why Cambodia “carefully considered” vaccines made by China.
First, Cambodia does not need a vaccine urgently because it is not severely affected by the pandemic compared to countries like the UK, the US, or a country in the region, Indonesia; You have now approved the Chinese batch. for mass vaccination.
Cambodia recorded 362 cases of illness and no deaths. This is a sign that the “pandemic is well controlled” in this country.
Therefore, Mr. Hun Sen must ensure that any approved vaccine does not undermine the government’s work. “If Mr. Hun Sen approves the Chinese vaccine now and if something goes wrong, this mistake will erase all the good credit that the government has accumulated,” Po said.
Third, Cambodia’s reluctance to use the Chinese vaccine is also a signal to Western countries, especially the United States, that Cambodia is not dependent on China.
Relations between Phnom Penh and Washington have been somewhat tense in recent months. The incident stemmed from the demolition in Cambodia of a US-built building at the Ream naval base, prompting speculation that China would join.
Race to buy the COVID-19 vaccine
