US official says no conditions attached to 2.5 million vaccines donated to Thailand
A US official says there are no strings attached to her country’s donation of 2.5 million Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand. The US is also donating US$5 million to help the Kingdom fight the pandemic. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has echoed the sentiments first expressed by UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres in April 2020.
“Providing vaccines to other nations, our objective is singly to save lives, with the full knowledge that none of us is safe until all of us are safe.”
Thai PBS World reports that Thomas-Greenfield made the statement at a press conference in Bangkok where she was asked what the US expects to gain from helping Thailand and other ASEAN nations.
Donating Covid-19 vaccines is seen by some as vaccine diplomacy and just another battle in the competition between the US and China. Nevertheless, Thomas-Greenfield insists the donation is not being made with the intention of seeking any favours in return. However, Thai PBS World reports that when the diplomat was first appointed to her role, she expressed her intention to disrupt China’s agenda.
“We know China is working across the UN system to drive an authoritarian agenda that stands in opposition to the founding values of the institution – American values. Their success depends on our continued withdrawal. That will not happen on my watch.”
The latest US donation means the country is now Thailand’s biggest donor of Covid-19 vaccines. Japan has donated over 1 million doses to Thailand, China has donated 1 million, and the UK has donated 415,000 doses.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
