How China’s Pledge to Give Its Virus Vaccine Could Go

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to make any effective vaccine against the coronavirus that is developed by China accessible and affordable globally as a “public good.” His vow came after some drug makers suggested that countries providing funding for their work will get first dibs, spurring a debate over “vaccine nationalism.” If successfully executed, China’s move could help defuse criticism of its early response to a disease, now called Covid-19, that first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since killed more than 315,000 people around the world. It also could boost China’s global standing, especially among poorer countries, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to cut off American funding for the World Health Organization.