Beijing’s decision to join the World Health Organization’s ­vaccine distribution scheme will help it play a bigger role in the ­global endeavour to stop a virus that has already killed more than a ­million people worldwide. The decision – offers a sharp contrast with the United States, which has rejected the proposal in favour of financing its own set of vaccine candidates and securing doses through bilateral deals.

Professor Dr Mely Caballero-Anthony, the Head of the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies at RSIS said the decision to take a multilateral path and join Covax added “more credibility” to Beijing’s global public good promise. “[It’s also] significant as it not only increases the number of countries helping this facility to provide for equitable access and distribution of vaccines, but strengthens the ability to help countries, particularly developing ones,” she said, adding it was a “symbolic demonstration of ­global solidarity to a global ­problem” that placed China in a positive light.