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Coronavirus: China seeks to boost influence by filling ‘vaccine vacuum’ in poor nations Jevans Nyabiage jevans.nyabiage@scmp.com Sinopharm vaccines arrive in Harare, Zimbabwe. China has pledged to donate doses to 35 African nations and the African Union Commission. Photo: AFP
China is seeking to take diplomatic advantage of a vaccine vacuum by sending millions of Covid-19 shots to poor nations, including in Africa.
While the West has failed to provide the doses needed in developing nations and major producer India has halted vaccine exports as it grapples with a devastating second wave, China has stepped in.
It had sold a total of 651 million vaccine doses - far more than its donations of 17.4 million - as of Monday, according to Beijing-based Bridge Consulting.
COVID, Global Outlook Fuel Boom in Chinese Philanthropy
January 20, 2021
The COVID crisis hit China just as a new philanthropic donor class had begun emerging. In some cases, Chinese philanthropists want to fund good works for purely altruistic reasons. In others, donors have sought to curry political favor by donating to causes in line with government priorities.
No matter what the reason, the yuan are flowing. Chinese philanthropists contributed the equivalent of more than $2.82 billion (U.S.) during the first half of 2020 to alleviate the impact of the coronavirus.
While the majority of the money went for medical and social relief efforts, more than $250 million has been contributed to research and development projects aimed at creating vaccines or treatments for the coronavirus, according to