For decades, the United States was a global leader in providing relief when disaster struck around the globe. But American use of soft power has receded in recent years, opening  a door for China and other countries to offer COVID-19 vaccines around the world in hope of strengthening their alliances during the pandemic.

“We are seeing China aggressively move to find ways to access populations that the U.S. in the past would have been a major donor to,” says Daniel Aldrich, director of the security and resilience studies program at Northeastern. “China very much would like to be the next power. The only question is, at what time will China emerge as the next major contestant with the U.S. for power diplomacy?”

The leveraging of much-needed vaccines is necessary in a world of haves and have-nots, says Denise Garcia, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and the International Affairs Program at Northeastern.

“The central question is: Will vaccine diplomacy enhance equitable solutions to end the pandemic?”

 

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