China’s COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation with Southeast Asia: A Boost for the Health Silk Road Initiative

Abstract

The severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public health management for the economy and society in every country. It also proved the necessity of international cooperation in the health sector to deal with global health challenges and realize sustainable development. As one of the major players in global health governance, China has made significant contributions to anti-COVID cooperation through the Health Silk Road, a key component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Beijing’s vaccine cooperation was particularly noteworthy in Southeast Asia, a very important region in China’s BRI design. The bilateral vaccine collaboration between China and regional states has provided good experiences for regional health cooperation and paved the way for the further promotion of the Health Silk Road in the post-pandemic era.