Opinion | Why a China-led free vaccine project for poor countries is an excellent idea
- The global order led by the US and Europe cannot move as quickly as China, which can ease tensions and earn goodwill in one master stroke, while fulfilling a genuine and desperate need
- If it provokes the international elite into action, so much the better
I suggest that China’s project should promise free vaccines and vaccinations, with no ancillary transport or transaction costs, to all nations where income per head (in United Nations’ normal purchasing power parity terms) is at or below US$8,000 per annum.
The cost to the Chinese economy will be minuscule and the organisation of the global programme well within its capacity and ability – but the resulting goodwill could be overwhelming. Chinese opportunities aside, such a project would be good for the world and is something that could be started straight away.
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China plans to vaccinate 50 million people before the Lunar New Year holiday
A huge advantage would be that China, while using its expertise and delivery agencies and facilities in full, can ally with major aid organisations with medical expertise, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and Save the Children Fund.
