US counters China’s vaccination diplomacy

In the power struggle between the US and China for political influence in Southeast Asia, US Vice President Kamala Harris has promised the free delivery of one million vaccine doses as part of her official visit to Vietnam. A day after the People’s Republic of China had delivered 200,000 doses to its neighboring country, Harris announced the supply of five times that amount to the country starting on Thursday. In addition, Harris announced that the US will open another office of its Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Vietnam to coordinate joint research and increased readiness for future pandemics. This marks the CDC’s fourth regional office in Southeast Asia.