China’s mask and vaccine diplomacy in Latin America: a success story?

Abstract

Abstract The article offers a differentiated and encompassing assessment regarding China's mask and vaccine diplomacy as part of a strategy to advance its interests in Latin America. It revises the extant literature on the topic and provides a broad overview of the state of research. While most studies only cover the period until mid-2021, this article provides a comprehensive compilation of descriptive statistics on shipments and donations of COVID-19 vaccine to Latin America until the end of 2021. The data shows how Chinese advantages regarding the delivery of vaccines evaporated in the second half of 2021. While the Chinese government was relatively successful in avoiding damage to its image at the beginning of the pandemic, it failed to consolidate sympathy gains in Latin America. China has also been unable to capitalize on its mask and vaccine diplomacy to further push back Taiwan's influence in the region. Chinese mask and vaccine diplomacy was not a game changer in Latin America, neither in geopolitical nor in geo-economic terms.