China-Africa Ties Could Use a Few Million Shots in the Arm
Despite big promises, Africa has received a paltry percentage of China’s Covid-19 vaccine sales and donations. Competition from the West could spur Beijing to step up.
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Photographer: Photo by Zhai Yujia/China News Service via Getty Images
A friend in need is, as Beijing well knows, a friend indeed.
In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the West turned inward, China sent African nations protective equipment and test kits, enlisting support from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder Jack Ma. Beijing promised vaccines and economic support, and President Xi Jinping said Africa’s shots would be a priority. Today, though, the continent accounts for just 8% of China’s global bilateral vaccine deliveries, according to figures compiled by Bridge Consulting, and those are not evenly distributed. That total is a third of what Beijing has provided to Latin America. The same data suggest no African country makes it into the 10 most significant bilateral sale or donation destinations.