New Delhi: Despite being home to the world’s largest vaccine industry, India itself is facing problem to overcome the challenges of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. India’s much-touted vaccine diplomacy effort has recently been at its low and is now facing criticism.
The nation has restrained shipment of vaccine to other countries as it continues to battle the fresh wave of the pandemic, amid an acute shortage of pharmaceutical needs claiming thousands of lives so far.
Therefore, India’s fight against the pandemic perceived immense support from countries worldwide. Most importantly, in recent days, the United States has reached out to India and in a major move, the nation did a turnaround on the supply of raw material for the vaccine to India after the NSA level talks held between the two countries on Monday.
The Biden administration is ramping up its vaccine diplomacy efforts and has decided to send immediately a whole series of help to India including Remdesivir and other drugs helpful in dealing with the deadly virus. Also, the white house has decided that the US will share up to 60 million doses of its AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries. The vaccine doses will be exported in the coming months after a federal safety review. The US has a stockpile of the vaccine even though its regulators have not yet authorized it for public use.
Now the question is whether the United States of America will overtake China in vaccine diplomacy because both have been considered global vaccine competitor. Russia adds to the list too.
Surprisingly, after the United States decided to assist India and other countries, taking advantage of India’s failed vaccine policy and its battle against the second wave of the pandemic, China is setting its strategic foot.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a virtual meeting with his counterparts from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on cooperating to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Foreign Minister Wang said that New Delhi was invited to the meeting. However, there has been no response from the Indian side on the same.
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Relevant Chinese enterprises have taken active actions with support of Chinese government, and the first batch of oxygen concentrators have been sent to India.
— Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 28, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Relevant Chinese enterprises have taken active actions with support of Chinese government, and the first batch of oxygen concentrators have been sent to India.
— Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 28, 2021Relevant Chinese enterprises have taken active actions with support of Chinese government, and the first batch of oxygen concentrators have been sent to India.
— Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 28, 2021