|
 Romney, an influential moderate Republican voice in the deeply
divided Senate, said he was "dismayed to learn" that China and
Russia are pushing out their vaccines, while the United States has
not been communicating in detail when needy countries can expect
doses.
"While the U.S. continues to 'plan' and 'prioritize' vaccine
distribution, China is using its weight and its own, far less
efficacious, vaccine to push countries needing vaccines to follow
China's political goals," Romney wrote in a letter to Blinken seen
by Reuters.
He said China could use vaccine diplomacy, for example, to forge
closer ties with countries in Latin America, such as Honduras, whose
foreign minister recently said the country wanted to avoid breaking
long-standing ties with Taiwan, but access to vaccines was more
urgent than anything else.
"I respectfully urge you to immediately enter discussions with
countries around the world and implement a strategy for vaccine
distribution to those countries. Upon doing so, I urge you to
announce and publish timelines for vaccine distribution by country,"
Romney wrote.
[to top of second column] |
 As the world grapples with the
coronavirus pandemic, poorer countries that make
up half the world's population have received
just 17% of doses, a situation the World Health
Organization head has labeled "vaccine
apartheid."
 Developed nations have been debating how to
handle the situation, including arguing over
whether intellectual property rights should be
waived for the vaccines to help boost
international production.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mary
Milliken and Bill Berkrot)
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