Authoritarian states are using COVID vaccines to subvert democracy

Mitigating the risks of authoritarian-sourced vaccine distribution

20210505 Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac Manila.JPG

Boxes of Sinovac Biotech's CoronaVac vaccine arrive in a Chinese military aircraft at an air base in Pasay, Metro Manila, on Feb. 28: Chinese vaccines have become not just tools for influence but leverage. © Reuters

Kevin Sheives is the Associate Director and Ryan Arick is the Program Assistant at the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy.

China and Russia are engaged in a diplomatic offensive to gain maximum advantage from the global distribution of their vaccines. Asia -- along with Latin America and Africa -- is poised to be a major recipient of these vaccines.

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