Issue No. 2 Philippines Starts COVID Vaccinations, Courtesy Of China By: CLIFF VENZON, Nik…
Issue No. 2
Philippines starts COVID vaccinations, courtesy of China
By: CLIFF VENZON, Nikkei staff writer (March 1, 2021 14:21 JST)
(An Excerpt)
Duterte, accompanied by Cabinet members and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xillan, witnessed the arrival of 600,000 vaccine doses, which were airlifted by a Chinese military plane on Sunday.
The vaccines were pledged by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his Southeast Asian tour in January Indonesia and Cambodia also kicked off their vaccination programs using Chinese-made vaccines while Laos also received vaccine donations from Beijing,
But some in the Philippines worry that the Chinese donations may compromise the country’s position on hot- button issues such as the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in a territorial dispute. But Duterte dismissed those fears.
“China has been giving us everything but never asked anything from us actually Duterte said, before railing against the US, which he said is “asking for a [military] base.
1. What is the critical issue about?
2 Who will get affected by this issue?
3. Why is this issue critical?
4. Does the problem or issue need to be addressed for immediate action?
5. What are the consequences involved?
Answer:
1. The critical issue is the Philippines starting COVID vaccinations with the help of China.
2. The people of the Philippines will be affected by this issue.
3. The issue is critical because there are concerns that the Chinese donations may compromise the Philippines’ position on hot-button issues such as the South China Sea dispute.
4. Yes, the problem or issue needs to be addressed for immediate action.
5. The consequences involved are that the acceptance of Chinese donations may lead to the Philippines being seen as aligning with China on certain issues, which could potentially strain relationships with other countries such as the US. There is also the risk of the vaccine being ineffective or unsafe, as it has not yet been fully tested and approved by international health organizations.
Explanation:
ASK ME ANYTHING
