Global Developments and Analysis: Weekly Monitor, 22 March - 28 March 2021

Economic

Suez Canal Container Ship Is Partially Freed

Engineers were racing March 29 to finish the job of freeing the Ever Given container ship blocking the Suez Canal, using tugboats to refloat it and straighten its heading in a bid to reopen the vital trade route and end days of global supply disruptions. Those involved in the rescue effort predicted that the process could take several days as dredgers worked to remove hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of sand around the ship’s bow. Salvagers made significant progress late March 26 after freeing the rudder and turning on the ship’s engines, people familiar with the operation said. Efforts continued throughout the weekend, with officials saying that they were quietly optimistic, in part because of higher spring tides accompanying the full moon that began on March 28. Analysts have said a flood of ships moving through the canal could congest European ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp lengthening waiting times to unload cargo at their destinations. Once the canal is free, the focus will turn to how the calamity happened and who should be held responsible. The answer could have major repercussions on insurance claims by the multiple parties involved. Click here to read... [2]

New Age of Chinese Nationalism Threatens Supply Chains

Relations between China and the West are off to a rocky start in 2021. Observers watching China and the U.S. trade accusations in Alaska, and Europe and China trade sanctions days later can be forgiven for a cold feeling in the pit of their stomach. Beijing’s tolerance for economic risk in the service of nationalism has rarely looked higher. That could bode ill for many, not least Taiwan and the littoral states of the South China Sea. The trade conflict between the U.S. and China has metastasized into a broader geopolitical confrontation—while China’s armed forces are nearing parity with the U.S. in the former’s backyard. A significant conflict between the U.S. and China in East Asia is still unlikely, but it can no longer be ruled out as an implausible tail risk. The decision to jeopardize China’s painstakingly negotiated bilateral investment treaty with Europe by directly targeting members of the European Parliament on March 22 is only the latest sign of Beijing’s rising willingness to accept big economic risks. Click here to read... [3]

‘Dropping stone on own foot’: China urges Western brands to avoid politics amid boycott over their rejection of Xinjiang cotton

China has warned Western companies against delving into politics, telling them to avoid making remarks about the alleged use of forced labour in Xinjiang’s cotton industry, as multiple companies face backlash and consumer boycotts. “I don’t think a company should politicize its economic behaviour,” Xu Guixiang, a Xinjiang government spokesman, said during a news conference on March 29. “They have lost their minds and their conscience, they are enthusiastic about political manipulation and the abuse of sanctions, to a level that is hysterical,” Xu said, adding that he believes the brands have ultimately harmed their own business. It’s like lifting a stone to drop it on one’s own feet. A massive social media-driven campaign targeting several Western brands including H&M, Nike, Adidas, Puma and Burberry over their stance on Xinjiang kicked off in China last week. It followed a coordinated action by the EU, Britain, Canada and the US that sanctioned a group of top Xinjiang officials over alleged persecution of the Uighur Muslim minority in the region. China responded in a tit-for-tat fashion over the weekend. Click here to read... [4]

China, Long a Source of Deflation, Starts Raising Prices for the World

Rising raw-materials costs and unrelenting supply-chain constraints are prompting many Chinese exporters to increase prices for the goods they sell abroad, raising fears it may add to global inflationary pressures. The fears have deepened in recent days, after a grounded container ship blocked the Suez Canal, further straining global supply lines stretched by the coronavirus pandemic and stronger-than-expected demand for computer chips and other goods. Rene de Jong, director of Resysta AV, an outdoor furniture manufacturer based in the southern Chinese city of Foshan, said he plans to raise prices by around 7% on new orders this summer. That’s largely because prices of chemicals and metals that are used to produce cushions, foams and frames in the company’s factories in China and Indonesia have climbed rapidly in recent months. Shipping freight rates have also climbed roughly 90% since last June; though they are often paid by clients. Other Chinese exporters raising prices include apparel businesses and a toy wholesaler who told The Wall Street Journal his company has raised prices for new orders across the board by 10% to 15% since the beginning of March. Click here to read... [5]

New Mideast Crude Contract May Test OPEC’s Grip on Oil

Abu Dhabi allowed trading of a futures contract linked to its flagship grade of crude for the first time March 29 in a debut that could test OPEC’s grip on oil prices. Abu Dhabi plans to relinquish control over prices of Murban to investors and traders, a major step in efforts to fortify its position in the international oil market. The goal is to make Murban more attractive to refiners in Asia, where oil producers are battling for customers as Western governments seek to phase out fossil fuels. By allowing crude to trade more freely, the emirate could ultimately undermine the sway of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries over prices. The changes that Abu Dhabi is making will erode the influence of cartel leader Saudi Arabia over time, Philip Verleger, an energy economist and president of PKVerleger LLC, said. Murban is a staple for Asian refiners, prized for its relatively low viscosity and sulphur content. State-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has vied for buyers with American companies alongside Mideast exporters since the shale boom unleashed oil in the U.S. Click here to read... [6]

US Congress pushes $100bn research blitz to outcompete China

Fresh from injecting $1.9 trillion into the U.S. economy, Capitol Hill already envisions another big spending plan -- this time to gain the upper hand in the tech race against China.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer looks to fast-track the Endless Frontier Act, a bipartisan bill that would authorize $100 billion over five years to fund research in cutting-edge fields amid the U.S. rivalry with China. The Endless Frontier Act targets 10 areas including artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum computing and information systems as well as advanced energy technology. The legislation would establish a technology directorate at the National Science Foundation -- the federal agency in charge of supporting fundamental research -- to fund study in these fields. The directorate might look to increase research spending at universities in these technology areas, create focused research centres and boost funding for collaboration with U.S. allies. Though the bill also promises to create regional tech hubs with additional funding, its main concern lies in providing federal support for basic research to lay the groundwork for key technologies of the future, as Washington looks to play the long game in its contest with Beijing. Click here to read... [7]

As US wields sticks, China, Russia to counter dollar hegemony

As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov started a two-day trip to China on March 22, days after senior Chinese and US officials clashed openly during a bilateral meeting, a major topic in talks with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is how to counter US sanctions -- not just on China and Russia but a growing list of other countries -- using its dollar hegemony, analysts said. To counter US sanctions, Lavrov said, China and Russia must enhance their technological independence and push for the use of their own currencies to replace the dollar as global clearing units in order to minimize the risk of ill-willed US sanctions, according to the China Media Group on March 22. After a multi-year campaign, China and Russia's de-dollarization efforts saw a breakthrough, as the dollar's share in bilateral trade dropped from 90 percent in 2015 to 46 percent in the first quarter of 2020, falling below the 50-percent mark for the first time, according to the Financial Times. There have also been talks among the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries about using their own currencies in intra-bloc transactions. Click here to read... [8]

Strategic

I have no hotline to China, Indo-Pacific commander pick says

U.S. Navy Adm. John Aquilino, the nominee to be the next leader of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told senators in his confirmation hearing March 23 that he will advocate for a direct line of communication, or "red phone," with his Chinese counterpart to de-escalate and manage crises. The U.S. and China have tried for years to put in place a functional hotline between their leaderships.In February 2008, the U.S. and China had signed a formal agreement to establish a new hotline, called the Defense Telephone Link, but it has reportedly been used only a handful of times. The 2008 agreement stipulates that the side proposing the call should provide 48 hours' advance notice and that both sides should identify the callers and a mutually acceptable time. In a crisis, a call may be requested without advance notice. Divining Beijing's intentions toward Taiwan was another of the prominent topics. At a recent congressional hearing, incumbent Indo-Pacific Commander Davidson said he believes that China could take military action within the next six years to reunify with the self-ruled island. Aquilino would not be pinned down on a specific timeline but did say that "my opinion is this problem is much closer to us than most think, and we have to take this on" and put deterrence capabilities in place. Click here to read... [9]

North Korea missiles rattle South and Japan as US stays calm

North Korea's breaking of its 12-month hiatus on ballistic missile testing has rattled neighbours South Korea and Japan, while the U.S. appears to be less concerned. The isolated nation launched two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan from South Hamgyong Province in the country's east early March 25. The tests came four days after the country fired two cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea. Although cruise missiles are not subject to United Nations sanctions, ballistic missiles are because they are considered more threatening given their capacity to deliver nuclear weapons. The missiles flew about 450 kilometers and landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, the Japanese government said. "The first launch in just less than a year represents a threat to peace and stability in Japan and the region and violates United Nations resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said. The U.S. seems less concerned about the recent tests than Japan, however, with Biden referring to the cruise missile tests over the weekend as "business as usual." "There's no new wrinkle in what they did," he told a reporter on March 23. Click here to read... [10]

Japan will turn to Quad in 'new Cold War': Defense Ministry think tank

Pandemic-driven acrimony between China and the U.S. has grown into a "new Cold War," according to a book-length annual report released March 26 by Japan's only national think tank covering security. COVID-19 is blamed in the 25th edition of the East Asian Strategic Review from the National Institute for Defense Studies. The disease led to economic stagnation in China, fuelling public dissatisfaction with President Xi Jinping's leadership, it says, adding: "In response, the Xi administration sought to overcome this by restarting economic activities and tightening its control over society." The hard line extended to Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as stepped-up maritime activity in the South and East China seas, according to the review. For Japan, which has been substantially deepening defense cooperation with the U.S., the next step could be "multi-layered security cooperation," including cooperation with other American allies, the review says. The Quad, which in its current form is a discussion among foreign ministry officials, could see future meetings among security officials of the four countries and lead to more defense cooperation, the report says. Click here to read... [11]

China ropes in Russia to push back against Western sanctions

China and Russia on March 23 accused the U.S. of creating a Cold War-like alliance and hit out against Western sanctions tied to human rights, rejecting them as political interference in their internal affairs. In a news conference after a bilateral meeting in Guangxi, southern China, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said both Moscow and Beijing regarded U.S. President Joe Biden's multilateral foreign policy as damaging to the existing world order. "We noted the destructive nature of the U.S.'s intentions to undermine the United Nations-centred international legal architecture relying on military-political alliances of the Cold War era and creating new closed alliances in the same vein," he said. Lavrov was invited to China by his counterpart, Wang Yi, following the latter's fiery meeting with top U.S. officials in Alaska last week. In a joint statement, Beijing and Moscow defended their right to choose their own development path."All countries should firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, and an international order that is based on international law," the statement in Chinese read. Click here to read... [12]

Amid escalating violence, Myanmar’s armed insurgents warn of action as clamour grows for ‘federal army’ to defend civilians

After at least 90 people were reportedly killed on March 28 – as the military celebrated its annual Armed Forces Day – the leader of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) Yawd Serk said, “(It) isn’t an armed forces day, it’s more like the day they killed people.” “The ethnic armed groups now have a similar enemy and we need to join hands and hurt those that are hurting the people. We need to join together,” Serk told Reuters. The RCSS, which operates near the border with Thailand, joined a growing list of Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO) who have condemned the February 1 coup and pledged to stand with protesters. It had previously stated that it would shelter and support victims fleeing from the violence. Some two dozen EAOs control various regions of the country although 10 are currently signatories to a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. Their involvement would further stretch already thinning security force resources. Already, a parallel government – the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) – has been set up in EAO-controlled areas. Click here to read... [13]

Iran & China ink 25-year strategic partnership accord as both nations face US pressure

A cooperation deal between Iran and China covering a quarter of a century has been signed in Tehran, furthering Iran’s role in the Chinese global infrastructure initiative. Both nations are being targeted by US sanctions. The landmark document was signed during a televised ceremony by visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif. The document was described by the Iranian side as “a complete roadmap with strategic political and economic clauses covering trade, economic and transportation cooperation.” The Chinese minister hailed Iran’s independence of foreign policy, according to Iranian media, saying that it “is not like some countries that change their position with one phone call.” Wang arrived in Iran on March 26 for a series of meetings with top Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and Ali Larijani, the ex-speaker of the parliament and a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The visit marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Beijing and is part of a larger tour across the Middle East by the top Chinese diplomat. Click here to read... [14]

Taiwan says it’s now making long-range missile capable of striking China

Taiwan said it is now mass producing a long-range missile capable of striking deep into China and is actively developing three more models – with the missile program deemed “a priority” by Taipei. Speaking in parliament on March 25, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the research and development of missiles has “never stopped.” The missile program is being developed by Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. Earlier this month, it staged a series of six missile tests to coincide with month-long military exercises by China’s People’s Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait.Leng Chin-hsu, the director of the Chung-Shan institute, told Taiwan’s lawmakers that one long-range, land-based missile had already entered production, with three other long-range missiles also under development. There was no immediate reaction from officials in Beijing to Taiwan’s announcement. China, however, warned as recently as late January that “‘Taiwan independence’ elements who play with fire will burn themselves,” adding that “‘Taiwan independence’ means war.” Click here to read... [15]

Turkey tells US purchase of Russian S-400 defense system is a ‘done deal’

Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has told America’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the two countries needed a roadmap to tackle disagreements and that Ankara is not planning to drop Russia’s S-400 defense system. Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels, Turkey once-again dismissed America’s request for them to cancel their purchase of the S-400s, telling Blinken that it's a “done deal” and calling on NATO to create a roadmap to solve existing disagreements with Ankara. The meeting between the two had initially been held to discuss bilateral relations, which have soured in recent months due to the S-400 deal, with both sides also raising their joint fight against terrorism and their foreign policy positions with regards to Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. In December, the previous White House administration had imposed sanctions on Turkey for purchasing the S-400s from Russia in a $2.5-billion deal, having opposed the agreement over concerns that the systems pose a risk to America’s F-35 fighter jets. Click here to read... [16]

Israel’s Latest Election Too Close to Call

Israel’s political deadlock is set to continue after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rivals failed to make decisive gains in the latest national election, according to official results from Israel’s election commission. With no clear winner in March 23’s election, the two main blocs are now scrambling to win more support in the 120-seat Knesset. The immediate challenge will be for Mr. Netanyahu or one of his rivals to secure the mandate from President Reuven Rivlin to try to form a government. March 23’s vote saw Mr. Netanyahu face a range of challengers hoping to remove him from office, running from centrist politicians to former right-wing allies who believe that Mr. Netanyahu has been in office too long. Mr. Netanyahu, in contrast, pitched himself as an experienced leader who managed to sign breakthrough diplomatic agreements with several Arab states in recent months, and as the architect of Israel’s successful, world-leading rollout of Covid-19 vaccines. Together, Mr. Netanyahu’s existing allies have 52 seats, short of the 61 seats he needs to form a majority coalition, while his opponents together have 57. The right-wing Yamina party, which has seven seats, and the Raam party with four, haven’t committed to either camp. Click here to read... [17]

Iranian Politicians Divided on Return to Nuclear Talks With U.S.

To talk or not to talk; Iran’s political leaders are divided over how to respond to U.S. President Biden’s overture to start negotiations aimed at reviving an international agreement that puts limits on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief. The split, reflecting disagreements over how long Iran can withstand the economic damage inflicted by sanctions and political jockeying ahead of presidential elections in June over who will be able to claim credit if they are lifted, has made it hard to predict when and under what conditions Iran would be willing to meet with the U.S., diplomats say. President Hassan Rouhani has said publicly that Tehran should be willing to return to the strictures of the nuclear accord either all at once or in steps, as long as the U.S. first lifts at least some of the damaging economic penalties it has imposed. More conservative opposition politicians, who control the nation’s Parliament, argue that Washington must lift all sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. “Iran needs to get something but it isn’t clear what that something is,” said a senior European diplomat in Tehran. Click here to read... [18]

Iran’s next hardline president coming into view

The countdown is on for Iran’s June 18 presidential election and early projections suggest a hardliner close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will likely emerge on top. Three key players have emerged ahead of the soon-to-begin official campaign season. The most prominent of the three is Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, a former IRGC aerospace force commander who served as minister of defense in Rouhani’s first cabinet. Dehghan is on the US Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list and was sanctioned by the Donald Trump administration in November 2019 for his close connections with Ayatollah Khamenei, to whom he serves as a military advisor.Lesser known is Brigadier General Saeed Mohammad, a former commander of the IRGC’s construction and engineering conglomerate Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters. Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters has recently filled the foreign contractor vacuum caused by US sanctions and is now one of the highest-earning enterprises in the country. The third candidate is Ali Motahari, a former deputy speaker of the Majlis and son of Morteza Motahari, one of the Islamic Republic’s foremost ideologues and intellectual leaders. He represented Tehran in parliament from 2008 to 2020 and was an outspoken critic of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s adventurous foreign policies. He has also challenged the Supreme Leader. Click here to read... [19]

Torch relay kicks off countdown to Tokyo 2020 Olympics

The torch relay for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo began on March 25, a year and a day after it was originally scheduled; officially starting the clock on Japan's ill-fated summer games.The torch relay will pass through 859 cities and towns across Japan in 121 days. It will reach the National Stadium in Tokyo on July 23, the day of the opening ceremony of the XXXII Olympiad and 2020 Summer Paralympics. There will be no foreign spectators after the Tokyo 2020 organizers decided over the weekend to ban all visitors from overseas except participants. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is skipping the ceremonies today after deciding against the two-hour trip from Tokyo as a coronavirus precaution. Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa are presiding in his place."About a year ago at the Olympiad in Greece, the flame was handed over to Japan. The flame didn't lose hope and now it's blooming like the cherry blossoms," Hashimoto said in a March 25 morning ceremony to start the relay.Japan has sustained a massive loss after investing seven years and over $12 billion in the games. Click here to read... [20]

Over 180 people trapped in Mozambique hotel after attack

More than 180 people including foreign workers are trapped inside a hotel in a northern Mozambique town under siege for three days by fighters linked to the ISIL (ISIS) group, according to workers and security sources.Several people were dead, AFP news agency reported citing witnesses and a rights group, after the attack in the town of Palma near a liquified natural gas (LNG) site in Cabo Delgado province. “Almost the entire town was destroyed. Many people are dead,” said a worker on the LNG site speaking on the phone on March 26 evening after he was evacuated to Afungi. He did not give details about the casualties nor their nationalities. “As locals fled to the bush, workers from LNG companies, including foreigners, took refuge in hotel Amarula where they are waiting to be rescued,” he said, asking not to be named. French oil giant Total is the principal investor in the $20bn project, with six other international firms including ExxonMobil involved in the area.Human Rights Watch said the attackers are linked to a group known locally as al-Shabab, which has no known direct link to the Somali armed group with a similar name. Click here to read... [21]

What’s behind the Saudi ceasefire proposal in Yemen?

Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, which has been battling a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition since March 2015, rejected Riyadh’s latest ceasefire initiative, demanding the complete lifting of the blockade on Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port. The Iran-aligned group controls a large part of Yemen’s north, including the capital Sanaa and Hodeidah port – considered a lifeline for millions of Yemenis affected by the six-year-old war. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam told Al Jazeera the group is “ready to go to a political dialogue after Saudi Arabia stops the war and lifts the siege”. “Saudi Arabia must declare an end to the aggression and lift the blockade completely but putting forward ideas that have been discussed for over a year is nothing new,” he was quoted as saying by the pro-Houthi Al Masirah TV. Casey Coombs, a researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, said Saudi Arabia “is framing itself as the peace-seeker”. “Knowing full well the Houthis will continue fighting for Marib and firing rockets into [the kingdom], Saudi is betting this move will portray Houthis as the aggressors.” Click here to read... [22]

Iraq's Yazidis warn of ongoing threats from extremists

In a landmark decision this month, Iraq's parliament passed the Yazidi Female Survivors Law, recognizing the atrocities committed by the extremist group known as "Islamic State," or "IS," against the ethno-religious group as genocide.When "IS," an Islamist terror group, took control of swathes of northern Iraq between 2014 and 2017, it killed, kidnapped and enslaved thousands ofYazidis, while tens of thousands more were forced to flee their homes. "The passage of the law represents a watershed moment," the United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement after the law was passed on March 1. It makes Iraq one of the first Arab countries to focus "institutional attention on female survivors of conflict-related sexual violence."But even while the law aims to "prevent the recurrence of violations," not everyone is convinced it will live up to its promises. Yazidi survivors say the existential threats that fuelled "Islamic State's" genocidal campaign against them still persist in Iraq. Under the new law, Iraq will provide a monthly stipend, residential land or free housing and psychological support to victims. Survivors of "IS" attacks will also be granted hiring priority for 2% of all public sector jobs. Click here to read... [23]

Biden says China won't surpass U.S. as global leader on his watch

U.S. President Joe Biden on March 25 said he would prevent China from passing the United States to become the most powerful country in the world, vowing to invest heavily to ensure America prevails in the race between the world’s two largest economies. Biden said he had spent “hours upon hours” with Xi Jinping when he served as vice president under former President Barack Obama and was convinced the Chinese president believed autocracy - not democracy - held the key to the future. The Democratic president said he had made it clear to Xi that the United States was not looking for confrontation but would insist that China abide by international rules for fair competition and fair trade and respect for human rights. “China has an overall goal ... to become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world,” he told reporters at the White House. “That’s not going to happen on my watch because the United States is going to continue to grow.”Biden took aim at Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin for embracing autocracy. Click here to read... [24]

Medical

UK and EU ‘not to blame’ for Covid-19 vaccine dispute, EU official says, AstraZeneca oversold production capacity

An EU official has dismissed claims that the UK is behind Europe’s faltering inoculation program, instead noting that the Anglo-Swedish pharma giant oversold its production capacity during negotiations. Speaking on March 22, an unnamed EU official said that the UK was not to blame for the EU’s woes. “The UK is not to blame. The EU is not to blame,” the official noted, adding “it’s about everyone finding agreement with a company that has been over-selling its production capacity. AstraZeneca has to deliver doses to its EU customers.” On March 21, an official told Reuters that Brussels has not formally blocked the export of any Covid-19 vaccines to the UK but added an export request would not be approved if the Netherlands factory applied to ship a new batch to Britain. Earlier on March 22, UK Care Minister Helen Whately urged the EU to stand by its commitment to share vaccine production and called on Brussels to work with London on increasing manufacturing capacity. On March 20, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned AstraZeneca that the EU would consider a complete export ban on its Covid-19 vaccine if it doesn’t supply the bloc with the jabs before other nations. Click here to read... [25]

U.S. to confront glut of COVID-19 vaccine as early as May: media

U.S. officials are anticipating the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to outstrip domestic demand by mid-May if not sooner, and are grappling with what to do with looming surpluses when vaccine scarcity turns to glut, reported The New York Times on March 27. U.S. President Joe Biden has promised enough doses by the end of May to immunize all of the U.S. adults, but between then and the end of July, the government has locked in commitments from manufacturers for enough vaccine to cover another 100 million people -- "tens of millions more than the nation's entire population," said the newspaper. "Whether to keep, modify or redirect those orders is a question with significant implications, not just for the nation's efforts to contain the virus but also for how soon the pandemic can be brought to an end. Of the vaccine doses given globally, about three-quarters have gone to only 10 countries. At least 30 countries have not yet injected a single person," said the report.Vaccine manufacturers and some top federal officials said decisions about what to do with extra orders must be made within weeks, or the uncertainty could slow production lines. Click here to read... [26]