China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held a meeting to mark 30 years of formal ties, and appeared to smooth over tense spots in relations — with the help of Chinese vaccine aid, which has focused on Southeast Asia.
With five approved COVID-19 vaccines, China aims to give shots to 40% of its population in the next four months, while also delivering huge amounts of doses to Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico.
CoronaVac, a vaccine by Sinovac Biotech, may only be a little more than 50% effective in preventing COVID-19, according to clinical trial results in Brazil. While this clears the threshold for regulatory approval, it is a disappointing result for countries that already bought tens of millions of doses of the product.
Western countries have begun rollouts of vaccines from firms like Pfizer and Moderna. But from Latin America to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, leaders hope that Chinese companies like Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm hold the key to curbing COVID-19.
Countries including Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey, and Chile are clamoring for doses of CoronaVac, the vaccine candidate made by Sinovac Biotech. Meanwhile, the maker of another of China’s leading vaccine candidates, Sinopharm, applied last month for market approval.
Washington has long disapproved of many of China’s maritime claims, but today, the State Department formalized its position on multiple disputes. The U.S. now effectively supports claims to reefs, shoals, waters, and other maritime features by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia over China.
In “Elite maneuvering, the Uyghur crisis, and Indonesian politics,” Tom Pepinsky annotates a Twitter thread that looks at the Indonesian government’s difficulties in criticizing the...
In the days leading up to President Trump’s inauguration, an Indonesian billionaire by the name of Hary Tanoesoedibjo came to New York and Washington to cozy up...