Khairulanwar Zaini

Khairulanwar Zaini

Research Officer, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

Khairulanwar Zaini is a research officer at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

A woman receives the Sinovac Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine in Denpasar, Indonesia's Bali island on 2 September 2021. (Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP)

Has China done well in its vaccine diplomacy in Southeast Asia?

China has supplied 190 million doses of its homegrown vaccines to Southeast Asia. However, although there has been sporadic support, perceptions of Chinese vaccines among the public in the region largely trend negatively, suggesting a non-linear relationship between China’s vaccine diplomacy and its soft power in the region. ISEAS researchers Khairulanwar Zaini and Hoang Thi Ha discuss the complex factors affecting vaccine hesitancy in six Southeast Asian countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
A garment factory worker receives China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine at an industrial park in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 7 April 2021. (Cindy Liu/Reuters)

China's efficient delivery of vaccines to Southeast Asia

As Southeast Asian countries look for Covid-19 vaccines to protect their populations, two things matter: reliability and availability. For now, China — rather than Western sources — ticks the correct boxes.