Vaccine Diplomacy has Caused a Stir in World Politics -Jafrul Islam

The world is now in the grip of an epidemic called Corona. The Corona epidemic has devastated the world for two long years. Corona has left many powerful countries helpless, while the people of that country have died. So vaccine diplomacy has now become a major topic of discussion in world politics. If we think back to the Corona epidemic, we can see. At that time, a rich country used other terms to claim another state as its own. Sometimes through the use of military force, through financial blockade, and socio-culturally, it would bring another country under its control. But due to the Corona epidemic, the system has changed now. Corona vaccine is now more needed than military economics.

Vaccines have now become one of the tools to control someone and develop relationships. The use of vaccines to develop diplomatic relations between one state and another is called vaccine diplomacy. For example, China is trying to develop relations by supplying vaccines to different countries of the world. In other words, vaccine diplomacy is an attempt to develop relations with countries that do not have the capacity to produce vaccines by giving them vaccine gifts.
We know that the countries that are leading in vaccine development. The United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China. And indirectly, India has got approval to make vaccines made in the UK. So it can be said that no one outside these five countries can or will invent a vaccine. Now if we look, we can see that these countries have been divided into two parts in terms of vaccines. This division of them is in the race to influence themselves. On one side are the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. Russia, on the other hand, and China.

Now if we think a little, we can see that China is ahead in this vaccine diplomacy. Because the US-made modern vaccine is determined to give its citizens. On the other hand, India is also struggling to get the UK vaccine approved by India. As a result, capitalist states are playing a silent role in vaccine diplomacy. On the other hand, China has become one of the main rivals in world politics. That can be understood through his contemporary activities. We know that China has taken up the One Belt One Road Initiative project. Through that project, it will expand its trade activities from Asia to the Middle East, Africa, and the Western world. The vaccine has made diplomacy the main tool in implementing this project. Because the project has sent vaccines as gifts to all the countries that need them. And these countries have adopted the vaccine because the vaccine has become a very valuable commodity in countries where people are dying due to corona. That is why even though it is an enemy country, there is no stinginess in accepting gifts from those countries.

China’s policy has become a headache for the United States. Because if it continues in such a way, the influence of the United States will soon be diminished, Which is not acceptable to America, because America’s exit from world politics is not acceptable to America. If we look, we see that Brazil is one of the Latin American states known to be a close friend of Central America. The country that the United States has recently called for to become a member of NATO. Because millions of people died during the Corona period in Brazil. As a result, the country is facing extreme disaster. And now China is supplying the vaccine to Brazil. And the Chinese-made Huawei phone has created a big market in Brazil Which has been the cause of American headaches. So the United States wants Brazil to join NATO in a trade war with China. But Brazil is helping in return for taking advantage of that from China. Now it remains to be seen what Brazil will do.

On the other hand, China has also provided vaccines to Palestine in the Middle East. In other words, by supplying vaccines, China is spreading its net of influence around the world. It remains to be seen what the US contribution will be in the face of China’s move. It remains to be seen whether the Cold War will turn out to be deadly. And it remains to be seen who wins in vaccine diplomacy. Again, this vaccine may become the diplomatic medium of the 21st century. If so, what experts fear is China’s influence in the world. If that is the case, then the United States should take steps to prevent this from happening. Otherwise, China’s influence against the United States will be severe.
The author is a student of
Rajshahi University