US, Quad States Work On COVID Vaccine Distribution Plan In Asia To Counter China - Reports

The United States, along with Japan, India and Australia, the so-called Quad group, are developing a plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccines across Asia as part of their strategy to counter China's growing influence, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the situation

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2021) The United States, along with Japan, India and Australia, the so-called Quad group, are developing a plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccines across Asia as part of their strategy to counter China's growing influence, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the situation.

The Quad partners discussed the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and ways to recover from the crisis during the group's virtual meeting last month.

According to the newspaper, Kurt Campbell, the Indo-Pacific policy coordinator at the White House, has held discussions on coronavirus vaccine distribution, among other issues, with ambassadors from the group in recent weeks.

The effort to use vaccine distribution to counter Beijing's influence in the region will be one of a range of measures of a broader strategy the group will unveil soon, the newspaper reported, adding that the strategy will cover such issues as the fight against COVID-19, climate change and regional security.

"The US is in the final stages of preparation for what it hopes to be a major, bold-stroke initiative in the Indo-Pacific," one person told Financial Times.

Though the White House refused to comment on the issue to the newspaper, a senior Indian official confirmed that the countries were currently negotiating the vaccines' distribution. In particular, the talks are focused on an initiative, under which, wealthier countries will pay for vaccines made in India for exporting abroad.