Health Silk Road and China’s Vaccine Diplomacy During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shortage of vaccine production, and the power gap that emerged due to the lack of coordination and management of international organizations in the field of global health has dragged states into a political, economic and social deadlock in the process of combating the pandemic. China has aimed to assess the pandemic period as a great opportunity both inside and outside, and effectively tried to manage the process at the point of promoting Chinese foreign policy arguments. In this process, where global health management and global cooperation were important, China has been able to effectively implement vaccine diplomacy in a way that does not disrupt the current international status quo, but can also conduct its foreign policy through health. The aim of this study is to assess China's vaccination diplomacy within the scope of the Health Silk Road and Chinese foreign policy objectives. In this study, document analysis of official documents within the scope of the Health Silk Road was conducted, and analysis outcomes were supported with data on vaccine distribution and production of China, considering the year of 2022, when China has speed up its vaccine production and distribution.

Keywords

• China
• Health Silk Road
• vaccine diplomacy
• health diplomacy
• COVID-19

Sağlık İpek Yolu ve Çin’in COVID-19 Dönemi Aşı Diplomasisi

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemisinin ilk dönemlerinde aşı üretimi yetersizliği yaşanmış, küresel sağlık alanında uluslararası örgütlerin koordinasyon ve yönetim eksikliği nedeni ile ortaya çıkan güç boşluğu pandemi ile mücadele sürecinde devletleri siyasi, ekonomik ve sosyal yönden büyük bir çıkmazın içine sürüklemiştir. Böyle bir dönemde Çin, pandemi şartlarını içte ve dışta büyük bir fırsat olarak değerlendirmek istemiş ve dış politika argümanlarını yaygınlaştırılabilme noktasında süreci yönetmeye çalışmıştır. Küresel sağlık alanında iş birliğinin önem kazandığı bu dönemde, mevcut uluslararası statükoyu bozmadan Sağlık İpek Yolu hedefleri kapsamında aşı diplomasisini hayata geçirmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, aşı diplomasisi kavramını Çin’in bir dış politika stratejisi olarak Sağlık İpek Yolu hedefleri bağlamında değerlendirmektir. Çalışmada, Çin’in Sağlık İpek Yolu çerçevesinde kamuoyu ile paylaşmış olduğu resmî belgeler ışığında belge analizi yapılmış ve elde edilen veriler Çin’in aşı üretimi ve dağıtımında hız kazandığı 2022 yılı baz alınarak aşı dağıtımı ve üretimine ilişkin sonuçlarla yorumlanmıştır.

Keywords

• Çin
• Sağlık İpek Yolu
• aşı diplomasisi
• sağlık diplomasisi
• COVID-19

References

1. Aba, G. (2018). Sağlık politikası ve planlaması. Ankara: Nobel Yayıncılık.
2. Akdağ, Z. (2023). Çin dış politikasında süreklilik ve değişim. Marmara Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilimler Dergisi, 11 (1). 72-96.
3. Belt and Road Portal (2017). “Belt and road” development plan for traditional Chinese medicine (2016-2020). https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/zchj/qwfb/7790.htm
4. Belt and Road Portal (2018). Standard connectivity road and belt action plan (2018-2020). https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/zchj/qwfb/43480.htm
5. Belt and Road Portal (2019). The belt and road initiative progress, contributions and prospects. Office of the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative. https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/zchj/qwfb/86739.htm
6. Bērziņa-Čerenkova, U.A. (2016). BRI instead of OBOR:China edits the English name of its most ambitious internantional project. Latvian Institute of International Affairs.https://web.archive.org/web/20170206061842/http://liia.lv/en/analysis/bri-instead-of-obor-china-edits-the-english-name-of-its-most-ambitious-international-project-532
7. Bridge Beijing (2022). China Covid-19 vaccine tracker. https://bridgebeijing.com/our-publications/our-publications-1/china-covid-19-vaccines-tracker/#China8217s_Vaccines_in_Asia_Pacific
8. Cheng, Y. ve Cheng, F. (2019). China's unique role in the field of global health. Global Health Journal, 3(4), 98-101.

9. Cihangir, M. (2020). Güvenlik olgusu bağlamında Covid-19 salgınının küresel sistemik etkileri: geleceğe yönelik projeksiyonlar. İsmail H. Demircioğlu, Zakir Avşar, Can Ozan Tuncer (Eds.), Salgınla Yaşamak Güvelik ve Gelecek içinde (s.269-287). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
10. CFR (t.y). Excerpt: why health is important to U.S. foreign policy. Council on Foreign Relations.https://www.cfr.org/excerpt-why-health-important-us-foreign-policy
11. Feldbaum, H., Lee K. ve Michaud J. (2010). Global health and foreign policy. Epidemiol Review, 32(1), 82-92.
12. Fidler, D. (2001). The globalization of public health: the first 100 years of international health diplomacy. Bulletin of World Health Organization, 79(9), 842-849.
13. Fidler, D. (2006). Health and foreign policy. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 84, 687-687.
14. Genç, Ö. (2011). Kara ölüm: 1348 veba salgını ve ortaçağ Avrupası’na etkileri. Tarih Okulu (10), 123-150.
15. Holt, B. D., Geis, J. P., Caine, S. E., Donaldson, E. F., & Sandfry, R. A. (2011). 正义与和谐社会: (Harmonious Society: Rise of the New Boxers). In Discord or “Harmonious Society”?: China in 2030 (pp. 29–46). Air University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep13824.9
16. Hotez, P. J. (2014). Vaccine diplomacy: historical perspectives and future directions. PLoS Neglected Tropical Disease, 8(6), 1-7, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002808
17. Huang, Y. (2022). The Health Silk Road: How China adapts the Belt and Road Initiative to the COVID-19 pandemic. American Public Health Association. 112(4):567-569.
18. ISDP (2021). China’s health diplomacy: Taking forward the Health Silk Road in Southeast Asia. Focus Asia Perspectives & Analysis. https://isdp.eu/content/uploads/2021/09/Chinas-Health-Diplomacy-Taking-Forward-the-Health-Silk-Road-in-Southeast-Asia-FA-03.09.21.pdf
19. Jones, H.N (1975). The scientific background of the International Sanitary Conferences. History of International Public Health, No:1, World Health Organization: Geneva. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/62873/14549_eng.pdf;jsessionid=F63545F8E9393EA4FC60EC1E1EDA4756?sequence=1
20. Karaca, K. (2018). Güç olma stratejisi Çin. İstanbul: IQ Kültür Sanat Yayıncılık.
21. Katz, R., Kornblet, S., Arnold, G., Lief, E. ve Fischer, J. E. (2011). Defining health diplomacy: changing demands in the era of globalization. The Milbank Quarterly, 89(3), 503–523.
22. Kevany, S. (2014). Global health diplomacy, 'smart power', and the new world order. Global Public Health, 9(7), 787-807.
23. Kickbusch, I., Silberschmidt, G. ve Buss, P. (‎2007)‎. Global health diplomacy: the need for new perspectives, strategic approaches and skills in global health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 85 (‎3)‎, 230 - 232.
24. Kissinger, H. (2015). Dünden bugüne yeni Çin. İstanbul: Kaknüs Yayınları.
25. Liu, L, Huang, Y. ve Jin, J. (2022). China’s Vaccine Diplomacy and Its Implications for Global Health Governance. Healthcare, 1-10.
26. Michaud, J. ve Kates, J. (2013). Global health diplomacy: advancing foreign policy and global health interests. Global Health: Science and Practice, 1(1), 24–28.
27. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (t.y). Chiana’s initiation of the five principles of peacefull co-existance. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The People’s Republic of China. https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zy/wjls/3604_665547/202405/t20240531_11367542.html#:~:text=Premier%20Zhou%20Enlai%20met%20with,for%20each%20other%27s%20sovereignty%20and
28. NHFPC (2017). Beijing Communiqué of The Belt and Road Health Cooperation & Health Silk Road. National Health Commission of The People’s Republic of China. http://en.nhc.gov.cn/2017-08/18/c_72257.htm
29. Oktay, F. (2019). Çin Yeni büyük güç ve değişen dünya dengeleri. 3. Baskı, İstanbul: Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları.
30. Savaş, V.F. (2016). Bilmediğimiz Çin. Ankara: Efil Yayınevi.
31. Singh, T. (2014).Contemporary foreign policy of China: Legacy of Deng Xiaoping. Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.https://www.ipcs.org/comm_select.php?articleNo=4653
32. Sinovac (2021). Sinovac at a glance. http://www.sinovac.com/about/show.php?id=148&lang=en
33. Taghizade S, Chattu, V.K., Jaafaripooyan, E. ve Kevany, S. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic as an excellent opportunity for global health diplomacy. Front Public Health, 1-9.
34. Tambo, E., Khayeka-Wandabwa, C., Muchiri, G.W., Liu, Y.N., Tang, S., Zhou, X.N. (2019). China's Belt and Road Initiative: Incorporating public health measures toward global economic growth and shared prosperity. Global Health Journal, 3(2), 46-49.
35. Taylor, A. (2020). China’s COVID vaccines are already being distributed. But how do they work, and where are they up to in trials?. https://theconversation.com/chinas-covid-vaccines-are-already-being-distributed-but-how-do-they-work-and-where-are-they-up-to-in-trials-151589
36. Tengilimoğlu, D. ve Güzel, A. (2018). Sağlık politikası belirleme süreci ve politikayı belirleyen aktörler. 9-37, içinde Sağlık Politikası, Dilaver Tengilimoğlu (Eds.), Ankara: Nobel Yayıncılık.
37. Thames, F. C. (2022). Major country diplomacy with Cienese characteristics. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. http://casseng.cssn.cn
38. The Center for Strategic Translation (t.y). Periods of strategic opportunity. https://www.strategictranslation.org/glossary/period-of-strategic-opportunity
39. Theory China (2021). The Theory of Three Represents. https://en.theorychina.org.cn/c/2021-05-04/1393245.shtml
40. The State Council Information Office (2020). What are six economic corridors under Belt and Road Initiative?. Official Website of The State Council Information Office, The People’s Republic of China. http://english.scio.gov.cn/beltandroad/2020-08/04/content_76345602.htm
41. Velez-Serrano, M. (2018). 'Stood up, grew rich and now is growing strong': An introduction to the historical stages of China's foreign policy. Relaciones Internacionales, 91 (2).1-23.
42. Verma, R. (2020). China’s diplomacy and changing the COVID-19 narrative. International Journal, 75 (2), 248–58.
43. Wang, X. (2022). China, not COVAX, led vaccine exports to the world’s middle-income countries in 2021. Health Policy Watch. https://healthpolicy-watch.news/china-covax-led-vaccine-exports-lmic-2021/
44. WHO (2015). Health 2020: Foreign policy and health. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. 1-8. https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/324623/Health-2020-Foreign-policy-and-health-en.pdf
45. WHO (2017). Towards a Health Silk Road. https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/towards-a-health-silk-road
46. WHO (2022). Status of Covid-19 vaccines within WHO/EUL PQ evaluation process. Guidance Document, https://extranet.who.int
47. WTO (2022). WTO-IMF Covid-19 vaccine Trade Tracker. Organizacion Mundial Del Comercio.https://www.wto.org/spanish/tratop_s/covid19_s/vaccine_trade_tracker_s.htm
48. XinhuaNet ( 14/05/2017). Full text of President Xi's speech at opening of Belt and Road Forum. http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-05/14/c_136282982.htm
49. Yiming, J. (t.y). Major country diplomacy with Chienese characteristics. https://shanghaiforum.fudan.edu.cn
50. Zemin, J. (2002). The international situation and our external work. Full text of Jiang Zemin’s at the 16th Party Congress. http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/Nov/49107.htm#9
51. Zeng, J. (2023). China, from bottom-line thinking to extreme scenario thinking: What happened in between?. Japan Forward. https://japan-forward.com/china-from-bottom-line-thinking-to-extreme-scenario-thinking-what-happened-in-between/
52. Zhang, D. ve Jamali, A.B. (2022). China's "weaponized" vaccine: intertwining between international and domestic politics. East Asia (Piscataway), 39(3), 279-296.