China blackmailed Ukraine into withdrawing its support for a call for scrutiny of human rights in China’s Xinjiang by threatening to withhold Chinese COVID vaccines.
Via the AP:
Ukraine has agreed to purchase 1.9 million doses of CoronaVac vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech. As of early May, Ukraine had received 1.2 million doses, according to Health Minister Maxim Stepanov.
In the past, China’s government has been no stranger to pressuring other countries in Geneva diplomatic circles or in national capitals either to line up behind its statements or avoid backing statements that criticize, question or seek scrutiny of human rights in the country.
But the alleged pressure would mark an escalation of intense recent efforts by Beijing to push back against criticism of its rights record, this time by potentially jeopardizing health – even lives – as a way to minimize international attention to it, the diplomats said.
