Australia rescues Pacific in Covid-19 jabs plan

China’s vaccine diplomacy in the Pacific has been sidelined with a transformative donation of 15 million doses by Australia.

Pacific Minister Zed Seselja. Picture: AAP

China’s vaccine diplomacy in the Pacific has been sidelined with a transformative donation of 15 million doses by Australia.

The federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine commitment should cover almost the entire 9 million-odd adult population of the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste.

“This is fantastic news for the Pacific, who three months ago looked to be at the back of the global line for vaccines,” said Jonathan Pryke, the director of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program.

“Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without the AstraZeneca restrictions in place in Australia, but overall this is still a very welcome outcome for the region.”

Australia’s most consequential vaccine pledge of the pandemic came a week after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga promised 3 million doses to Pacific Island nations.

The top-up will be delivered before mid-2022 using Australia’s domestically manufactured AstraZeneca supplies, much of which has been freed up by the government’s switch to the Pfizer-made vaccine.

“This allocation of up to 15 million doses to the Pacific and Timor-Leste will enable Australia to deliver on our commitment to ensure the countries of the Pacific and Timor-Leste can achieve comprehensive vaccine coverage,” said Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Pacific Minister Zed Seselja in a statement.

The government announced the commitment by press release a day after China’s Foreign Ministry accused Australia of “political manipulation and bullying coercion” in Papua New Guinea.

Beijing’s latest verbal spray was delivered as Senator Seselja visited PNG, before heading to the Philippines.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Australia had put pressure on PNG to not approve the Chinese-made vaccine Sinopharm, citing a piece in the party-state controlled Global Times.

“Those in Australia who take advantage of vaccine issues to engage in political manipulation and bullying coercion are being callous to the life and health of the people in PNG,” Mr Wang said.

The Global Times claimed Australian officials told the PNG government that “if they would welcome the Chinese vaccines, they must bear the consequence of Australia ceasing investment in the country’s road projects”.

Senator Seselja rejected the accusation.

“My message to people who may have read that, or other articles, would simply be to look at Australia’s record during this period, and over a long period of time, of providing high-quality healthcare support and providing vaccine support,” he said.

Australia has begun ramping up its vaccine support in the region with its Melbourne-produced AstraZeneca.

Almost 55 per cent of Fiji’s adult population – more than 300,000 people – have received their first vaccine dose with donations from Australia and supplies from the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, a worldwide initiative aimed at delivering equitable access.

Xi Jinping’s administration has not donated any China-produced vaccines to COVAX.

“Overall China’s assistance to the Pacific during the single greatest health and economic crisis the region has faced has been pretty lacklustre, and doesn’t reflect their status leading into the crisis as the region’s third-largest aid donor,” said Mr Pryke.

“Besides some tokenistic support and vaccine offers, China has largely been missing in action during the Pacific’s time of greatest need.”