China has supplied or plans to supply 120 million coronavirus vaccine doses to ASEAN members, around 4.8 times the number allocated for the region by the United States and European countries through the U.N.-backed COVAX global vaccine-sharing program, a Kyodo News tally showed Sunday.
The numbers were compiled Friday by Kyodo News based on data from Gavi, an alliance of governments, international organizations, companies and charities that promote the COVAX program in cooperation with the World Health Organization, as well as from Association of Southeast Asian Nations governments.
The tally also showed Cambodia and Indonesia secured over 90 percent of their vaccine doses from China. Laos secured around 89 percent of its doses from China and the Philippines over 60 percent.
Several countries in Southeast Asia have been facing a resurgence of infections and are trying to procure enough doses for their populations.
With Chinese vaccines outpacing those provided to ASEAN members through the COVAX program by the United States and European countries, the leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations on June 12 said they aim to help developing countries ride out the coronavirus pandemic by providing 1 billion doses.
China's Sinopharm vaccine will be supplied to developing countries through COVAX but was not among those allocated to ASEAN countries as of Friday.
