Vaccine diplomacy will earn China friends and money

Significance

Beijing has promised to donate millions of doses to other countries and committed to selling hundreds of millions.

Impacts

• China’s attempts to develop its pharmaceutical sector will benefit from overseas publicity, experience and new business relationships.
• Vaccine deals and donations will not necessarily involve direct political quid pro quos; Beijing stands to gain in other ways too.
• China’s ability to offer vaccines confers a huge advantage in its campaign to make Taiwan’s few remaining diplomatic partners abandon it.
• India’s halting of vaccine exports will increase demand for supplies from China.
• In the medium and long term, the West could still outclass China in the quality, scale and generosity of its donations.