China forges on with vaccine diplomacy amid Pfizer fanfare

Sinopharm and Sinovac help to offset waning Belt and Road momentum

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A Sinovac Biotech lab: Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to make the country's coronavirus vaccines a "global public good." © Reuters

CK TAN, Nikkei staff writer

SHANGHAI -- Rollouts of Western coronavirus vaccines are dominating the headlines, but China is pressing ahead with its own drive to distribute shots worldwide while preparing for mass inoculations at home.

Like many vaccines, China's face lingering questions about efficacy and safety. But with funding for Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative slowing down, some experts see vaccine diplomacy as another chance for China to shore up its international influence, especially in the developing world.

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