China has already started to compete for influence in the Southern hemisphere through a multi-billion dollar network of infrastructure and investment deals and in all likelihood set to beat the USA in their backyard with diplomacy related to virus vaccine. This has been confirmed by the top commander for the military in South and Central America.
The Southern Command of the military is lead by Adm. Craig S Faller who on Wednesday has acknowledged that China is actively entering into a deal and get the vaccine employed and deployed all around the planet to put a halt to coronavirus. The United States through its government-wide program called Operation Warp Speed is going to take care of the United States first.
The vaccine is not approved by either country, but China has already started inoculating its citizens under a strategy that appears to be like an emergency. The Sinovac Biotech developer of China has collaborated on late-stage trials with Brazil. CanSino Biologics is another Chinese vaccine developer that has already had its clinical trial underway in the Latin American country Mexico. They have signed a purchase agreement in advance with the government there and is all set to supply 35 million doses of immunization of a single dose.
In a video meeting, Faller, with other members of the Defense Writers Group, has said that everybody is under pandemic and every help that is coming is legit and they are going to welcome any such help. So, he abstains from making any judgment on that particular issue.
Southern Command is providing a major focus on humanitarian assistance that includes foreign disaster relief and health care in the region to stave off the migrant crisis that is destabilizing and strengthen relations. During the hurricane season this year, which has just ended, the US forces provided relief supplies in Central America as they took part in the rescue operations. The medics of the American military tested the troops for coronavirus as they are deployed after returning.
Faller spoke from the headquarters in Doral in Florida and said that he monitored the numerous activities of the external state actors in the South American region and wants to counter those influences that are termed by him as great power competition globally that is very much prevalent in the southern hemisphere and i8s very much alive.
The port deals by China around the Panama Canal are a global chokepoint for the world and can start a major global conflict according to him. Beijing is also putting an effort to seek deep-water port deals in places like the Bahamas and Mexico.
China is e3xpanding its presence in the region and giving loans to Latin American countries and it is a grave concern for the US and its allies.
Faller has added that fewer drugs are moving right now and there is a huge narcotics trafficking in the area during the pandemic.
