A medical staff shows the Sinopharm vaccine from China during the first day vaccination against the COVID-19 at Calmette hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Feb. 10, 2021. TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP via Getty Images
China’s Sinopharm began rolling out its COVID-19 vaccination program in the Solomon Islands this week, amid wider concerns of Beijing’s “vaccine diplomacy” efforts and attempts to expand its hegemony in the South Pacific region.
Solomon Islands Deputy Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga received the first jab on May 21 at a ceremony at the Central Field Hospital in the capital city of Honiara.
He said the islands were the first among Pacific nations to receive the Chinese-made vaccines and “expressed gratitude” to Chinese authorities. Maelanga’s inoculation was carried out to demonstrate the “safety and effectiveness” of the vaccine, according to the Chinese state-run media outlet Xinhua.
The efficacy of vaccines from Sinopharm, and another Chinese state-owned firm, Sinovac, have come into question, with different countries reporting wildly differing success rates.
In April, Beijing donated 50,000 vaccines to the nation, with Chinese Ambassador Li Ming saying, “Solomon Islands is actually the first Pacific Island Country to receive our support with regards to COVID-19 vaccines.”
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (R) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspect honor guards during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2019. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images
Li, who was present at the Honiara ceremony, said the rollout was an example of the “mutual trust” shared by Beijing and the Solomon Islands.
Sinopharm and Sinovac have delivered vaccines to more than 80 countries around the world, according to Chinese regime mouthpiece The Global Times. Beijing has also pledged to deliver 200,000 vaccines to Papua New Guinea, another Pacific nation that is struggling to contain an outbreak of the virus.
Australia, in turn, has delivered 60,000 doses of its locally made AstraZeneca vaccine to the Solomons and more than 8,000 doses to Papua New Guinea.
Beijing’s push to assist developing nations with vaccination efforts has sparked criticism, with French President Emmanuel Macron raising concern over the lack of transparency behind the development of its vaccines.
Low success rates with the Chinese vaccine have raised safety concerns as well; for example, Sinovac’s last-stage clinical trial in Brazil had a reported efficacy of 50.4 percent, just above the 50 percent threshold set by the World Health Organization.
A health worker prepares to inoculate the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine to Chinese nationals living in Sri Lanka in Colombo on April 6, 2021. Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images
Gabriel Moens, emeritus professor of law at the University of Queensland and an expert in international law, says the vaccine push complements Beijing’s trillion-dollar infrastructure funding scheme, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road).
“Even a perfunctory assessment of Sinovac diplomacy and the BRI suggests that China is motivated by its desire to expand its geopolitical footprint around the world,” he wrote in an op-ed for The Epoch Times.
Meanwhile, Beijing-backed vaccination campaigns in the South Pacific come as democratic allies continue to push back against the regime’s ongoing influence-building in the region.
The response from Pacific nations has varied.
Incoming Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa last week pledged to cancel a $100 million port development near the nation’s capital, Apia, saying the project was excessive for a country of Samoa’s size and economy.
Fishing boats moored near the Apia Fish Market in Apia, Samoa, on Sept. 13, 2015. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Her stance was a complete reversal from incumbent Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who has maintained friendly relations with Beijing for his nearly two decades in power.
Daniel Suidani, provincial leader of Malaita within the Solomon Islands, has had ongoing disputes with the country’s federal leaders over his opposition to Beijing and criticism of the BRI.
“China overwhelmingly targets destitute countries like the Solomon Islands that cannot pay their debts and loans. China has confiscated parts or entire seaports from countries that are unable to pay their debts,” Suidani told a crowd at the provincial assembly in 2019.
In the same year, leaders from the Solomon Islands and Kiribati decided to drop diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of Beijing. It was the latest step by Beijing to chip away at Taiwan’s international standing.
Daniel Y. Teng
Writer
Daniel Y. Teng is based in Brisbane, Australia. He focuses on national affairs including federal politics, COVID-19 response, and Australia-China relations. Got a tip? Contact him at [email protected].
