The arrival of a million doses of the Coronavac vaccine in the country last Wednesday serves to revive the National Vaccination Plan against the coronavirus (Covid-19), which started on February 16. And also to revive relations between China and the Dominican Republic.
These doses are the second shipment the country is receiving from China, having sent 768,000 doses in February to continue with the plan, vaccinating 675,000 people by the morning of the 17th of this month.
The arrival of this new shipment made China the main supplier of vaccines that the Dominican Republic has had in the fight against the new coronavirus, while initially, with the first plan designed by Luis Abinader’s administration, it was not even possible. . .
This cooperation by the Chinese government provides an interesting twist to relations between the two states, which have shown signs of stagnation since Abinader’s arrival last August.
And all has happened at a time when the vaccines that have been agreed with the US Pfizer, the European Astrazeneca and the WHO’s Covax system do not seem to arrive at a cut-off date, even though they were promised for the first quarter of this. Because of this uncertainty, President Abinader revealed that the government had reserved eight million doses of the Chinese vaccine, which would arrive in two shipments of four million: the first would be delivered in April and the second in May.
A cooling in relations between the two countries has been noted since President Abinader stated on several occasions that the primacy of international relations should rest with the United States, because of its status as the main commercial partner and “home to nearly two million Dominicans.” ”.
From here, it was believed that relations entered into by the Danilo Medina government earlier in 2018 with the People’s Republic of China would deteriorate. Or chilled, in diplomatic language.
Abinader distanced himself
Even since August 16, 2020, when Abinader took over as head of the executive branch, relations with China were already showing signs of distancing or taking a different course from that followed by Medina.
The situation took on new nuances when Abinader announced in late October that China could not invest in any of the country’s strategic areas.
“If China wants to invest in non-strategic areas of the Dominican government, that investment is welcome, but the Dominican government’s decision is to form a strategic alliance with the United States,” the Dominican president said in an interview with the United States. the Wilson. Center of the United States, an impartial organization that defines itself as a forum for global issues, independent research and open dialogue.
The strategic areas defined by the government are ports, airports and telecommunications.
In the same program, the president pointed out that the fact that the United States is the Dominican Republic’s main commercial partner did not mean that relations with China were definitively broken.
With the arrival of the new shipment of vaccines, on Wednesday 17 of this month, Abinader thanked the Chinese government for donating 50,000 vaccines, in addition to sending one million doses obtained by the Dominican Republic from Sinovac, the country’s pharmaceutical industry. . laboratory.
“Thanks to the Chinese government and its president, Xi Jinping, for approving the export license of 1 million vaccines and for donating an additional 50,000 to continue the vaccination process,” Abinader said in a post on his Twitter account. .
A message that contradicts what he wrote to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, via Twitter: “President Joe Biden, less developed countries and traditional allies of the United States, such as the Dominican Republic, we have it. vaccine approved. from AstraZeneca and we need it urgently. Don’t let the wait for new studies delay our immediate access to this vaccine. It wouldn’t be fair ”.
Abinader has publicly complained on several occasions that the delay in the delivery of these vaccines is due to the “big countries” having given little support and monopolized most of the doses.
The first 50,000 doses of vaccines to enter the country were from the so-called Covishield, developed in India by AstraZeneca, and with that, staff working in hospitals began to be vaccinated.
The sense of alienation in relations was reinforced in November, when the Dominican government announced that an economic and technical cooperation agreement with China, originally to be celebrated on October 27, would be postponed for a second time.
Despite press insistence, none of the diplomats came to reveal the real reasons for both suspensions.
The only response came when the executive director of the United States Finance Corporation for International Development (DFC), Adam Boehler, said his country is concerned about the neo-colonialism the People’s Republic of China uses when investing in any country. “on the use of human DNA.”
“China has done no harm in the past, nor does it in the present, nor will it in the future, for the security of the Dominican Republic and is ready for mutually beneficial cooperation based on respect for the will of the Dominicans. ., local laws, market rules and international practices to achieve a shared profit, ”said Chinese ambassador, Zhang Run, in a press release.
Distance from China
On November 17, 2020, the Dominican government signed with the United States a commitment to “protect the national security of both countries”, excluding suppliers of 5G equipment and technology that are considered “high risk”.
“The Dominican Republic’s participation in the Clean Network paves the way for the expansion of investment in the US private sector and strengthens mutual guarantees for like-minded partners in the region and other parts of the world,” said Secretary of State Keith Krach at the end. . of the deed of signature.
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In this regard, the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the country defended its technologies and accused the United States of using their cyber technology advantages to conduct electronic eavesdropping and surveillance for a long time, “of drawing lines in technological development according to its ideology and to promote the technological Cold War ”.
“The goal is to maintain its technological hegemony and economic interests. The ‘clean network’ promoted by the US is a ‘dirty network’ of a discriminatory, exclusive and politicized nature that will deprive other countries of their freedom and right of choice and violate other countries’ digital sovereignty and computer security, ” noted the Asian. giant in his statement.