NEW DELHI – When an Indian Navy plane landed in the Seychelles archipelago last month, the country’s foreign minister and other senior officials stepped on the tarmac to welcome its precious cargo: 50,000 doses of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine which was manufactured by Indians.
Two weeks ago, the Indian Ocean country – total population, 98,000 – received a separate consignment of 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine manufactured in China, which wants to make strategic ascent in a region that India has long seen as part of its sphere. of influence.
Covid-19 vaccines are becoming an important form of diplomatic currency around the world as countries scream for lucrative power. China and Russia propose their own vaccinations, as well as Western medicine companies.
Now India, a pharmaceutical giant that produced about 60% of the global vaccines before the pandemic, is joining the fight to strengthen ties and expand its influence in its environment and beyond.
Beijing has been trying for years to derail Indian efforts to establish a military outpost in Seychelles, enabling New Delhi to monitor Chinese naval and civilian vessels in the area. India worked to stem Chinese intrusions and helped build a network of coastal radar stations.