Brady Collins
China has been at the forefront of the global race to develop coronavirus vaccines, with several Chinese companies successfully developing COVID-19 vaccine products. While there is no evidence that vaccines for the US are made in China, China has been working on its own vaccines, with Sinopharm, Sinovac, and CanSino being the leading Chinese vaccine manufacturers. These vaccines have been widely adopted domestically and exported worldwide, mainly to developing countries. China has also approved a vaccine from CanSinoBIO for military use.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| US-China vaccines collaboration | People are much less likely to receive a U.S.-China flu vaccine than those created by a U.S.-Japan collaboration or the U.S. alone |
| China's vaccine development | China began developing COVID vaccines months before the outbreak |
| China's vaccine industry | China is one of the world's most populous countries, making its vaccine industry a lucrative market for healthcare manufacturers |
| China's vaccine manufacturers | Sinopharm, Sinovac, CanSinoBIO, CNBG |
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What You'll Learn
US-China relations in medicine and vaccine development
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the rivalry between the United States and China in the fields of medicine and vaccine development, particularly in Latin America. Both countries have competed to distribute their vaccines to partner and strategic nations, with China's Sinovac vaccine becoming a key player in this rivalry. China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been instrumental in building its relationships and influence with other countries, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. China's economic presence in these regions has grown significantly, surpassing the trade values of the United States.
The United States has responded with strategies to counter China's influence and secure its position as a dominant power. This rivalry has extended beyond economics and politics into health diplomacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition to develop and distribute vaccines has become a "high-stakes battle for influence" in Latin America, a region with a history of US influence but also close ties to China.
China has aimed to use its vaccine development and distribution as a form of "vaccine diplomacy" to win friends and cut deals globally. It has offered priority access to Chinese-developed vaccines to countries in Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. This effort could be a "soft power" diplomacy tool for China, helping to reframe the narrative of the pandemic and improve its image, especially in regions where it has territorial disputes.
However, China's vaccine diplomacy has faced challenges due to concerns about the safety and efficacy of its vaccines. There have been scandals over the use of ineffective or expired vaccines in China, leading to low confidence in Chinese-made vaccines among its middle class. Additionally, countries like Brazil have rejected Chinese vaccines, citing a lack of trials and emphasizing the dangers of untested vaccines.
The United States has also engaged in vaccine diplomacy, bolstering its influence by sending Pfizer vaccine doses to Brazil in December 2020, strengthening US-Brazil relations. The US has faced criticism for stockpiling vaccine doses, leaving less wealthy countries with limited access to vaccines and turning to alternatives.
Despite previous successful collaborations between the US and China in developing vaccines, public sentiment towards US-China collaborations has become increasingly politicized and influenced by escalating distrust of China. Studies have shown that people are much less likely to receive a US-China flu vaccine than one created by a US-Japan collaboration or the US alone.
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China's vaccine industry and market
China's biotech industry is focused on making drugs ultra-cheap and ramping up manufacturing speed. While the U.S. biotech industry is known for its cutting-edge treatments, China's approach is to make the research, development, testing, and production of drugs and medical products hyper-efficient and low-cost. As a result, China's biotech sector delivers drugs and other medical products at much cheaper prices, including inexpensive generics.
China's biotech industry is part of its expansion of soft power around the world. The country is increasing pharmaceutical exports to countries in Southeast Asia. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese enterprises like CanSino and Sinovac developed and exported large quantities of Covid vaccines to the developing world. China was ahead in the global race to develop coronavirus vaccines, with the most candidates in the late stages of trials. Its first approval of a homemade shot for the general public came through with no detailed efficacy data. China also approved a vaccine from CanSinoBIO for military use, which was administered to 40,000–50,000 people. Sinovac's CoronaVac shot has been signed up by Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, Chile, and Singapore.
China's vaccine efforts are following a different course from those in the United States and Europe. While most leading Western vaccines rely on new technologies, Chinese companies are investing substantial resources and testing multiple candidates in tens of thousands of volunteers worldwide. Chinese companies are also collaborating with foreign companies like AstraZeneca and Pfizer to produce their products.
China's vaccine industry has been marred by scandals over the past decade, including the use of ineffective vaccines, improper records, and sales of expired polio vaccines. Chinese citizens have a low level of confidence in Chinese-made vaccines due to these repeated scandals. However, China's biotech industry is producing innovative breakthroughs, such as Likang Life Sciences' new cancer vaccine, which uses mRNA editing and is undergoing clinical trials for FDA approval.
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China's COVID-19 vaccine development
China was ahead in the global race to develop coronavirus vaccines, with the most candidates in the late stages of trials. However, it has been slower than several other countries in approving COVID-19 vaccines. China launched an emergency use programme in July aimed at essential workers, and it has been inoculating its citizens with three different shots undergoing late-stage trials.
According to a US Senate report, China began developing COVID-19 vaccines in November 2019, months before the outbreak. The report also stated that the pandemic was most likely linked to a lab leak in Wuhan. Chinese researchers started developing COVID-19 vaccines at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which would have meant that SARS-CoV-2 was present in the lab before the outbreak.
China approved a vaccine from CanSinoBIO for military use, and it had been given to 40,000-50,000 people. Sinopharm's and Sinovac's vaccines are based on traditional technology that uses inactivated or dead viruses to trigger an immune response. The overall occurrence rate of adverse reactions to these vaccines is similar to other inactivated vaccines, and the occurrence rate of relatively serious adverse effects such as allergies is about two in a million.
Sinovac's CoronaVac shot has been signed up by Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, Chile, and Singapore. The United Arab Emirates became the first country to roll out a Chinese vaccine to the public, and Pakistan announced a 1.2 million dose purchase deal with Sinopharm. President Xi Jinping has pledged to make China's vaccines a global public good.
China's vaccine effort is following a different course from those in the United States and Europe, with a low profile, military collaboration, and ethically fraught decisions. However, it aims to use its version of Warp Speed not just to stem the COVID-19 pandemic but also to build diplomatic and trade ties.
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US-China vaccine collaboration and public perception
China has been at the forefront of the global race to develop coronavirus vaccines, with the highest number of candidates in the late stages of trials. China has also been inoculating its citizens for months with three different shots undergoing late-stage trials. However, there has been no detailed efficacy data released for these vaccines. China's Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are based on traditional technology that uses inactivated or dead viruses to trigger an immune response. The overall occurrence rate of adverse reactions to these vaccines is similar to that of other inactivated vaccines, and the occurrence rate of relatively serious adverse effects such as allergies is about two in a million.
Despite China's advances in vaccine development, there is a low level of confidence in Chinese-made vaccines among its middle class due to repeated scandals involving ineffective or expired vaccines. In contrast, vaccine confidence in China is very high compared to other countries, with surveys conducted in 2021 showing that 95% of people feel that vaccines are safe and 97% think they are effective. 95% of those surveyed said they believe it is important for children to have vaccines.
In the United States, there has been a retreat from mRNA vaccine development due to funding cuts, which has left experts worried that the US will be left asking China for their vaccines in the event of a pandemic. This could potentially impact 22 projects totaling nearly $500 million.
While there has been no definitive conclusion on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, a US Senate report claimed that Chinese researchers began developing COVID-19 vaccines months before the outbreak, indicating that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have been present in the lab before the outbreak.
China's vaccine efforts have been used to build diplomatic and trade ties, with President Xi Jinping pledging to make China's vaccines a global public good. China has also been working with foreign companies such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer to produce their vaccines.
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China's vaccine diplomacy
China has been at the forefront of the global race to develop coronavirus vaccines, with the most candidates in the late stages of trials. However, it has been slower than other countries in approving COVID-19 vaccines, despite inoculating its citizens with shots undergoing late-stage trials. China's vaccine diplomacy aims to win friends and cut deals, improving its image following the pandemic's origins in Wuhan and the government's initial response.
China approved a vaccine from CanSinoBIO for military use, with 40,000-50,000 people vaccinated. Sinopharm and Sinovac's vaccines are based on traditional technology that uses inactivated or dead viruses to trigger an immune response. The United Arab Emirates became the first country to roll out a Chinese vaccine to the public, with other countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, Chile, Singapore, and Pakistan following suit.
China's vaccine efforts differ from those in the US and Europe, with a low profile, military collaboration, and ethically questionable decisions. However, their use of inactivated vaccines is a tried-and-true approach with solid track records. CanSino and two other Chinese companies are investing significant resources, testing candidates on tens of thousands of volunteers worldwide.
President Xi Jinping has pledged to make China's vaccines a global public good, aiming to build diplomatic and trade ties. China's vaccine diplomacy is an attempt to reshape the narrative and improve its global image, while also fostering relationships with other countries.
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Frequently asked questions
China has been working on developing vaccines for its own citizens and for global distribution. However, there is no evidence that vaccines administered in the US are made in China.
China was one of the first countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and was thus at the forefront of virological research on SARS-CoV-2. Several Chinese companies have successfully developed COVID-19 vaccines, including Sinovac, CanSino, and Sinopharm. These vaccines are based on traditional technology that uses inactivated or dead viruses to trigger an immune response.
Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines have shown varied efficacy readouts. While they are generally considered safe, with adverse reaction rates similar to other inactivated vaccines, there is a lack of detailed efficacy data available. Chinese citizens have also expressed low confidence in domestically made vaccines due to past scandals involving ineffective or expired vaccines.
