US–China Vaccine Diplomacy: Geopolitical Aid Strategies 2021-2022

Rikio Inouye produced this replication dataset for International Studies Quarterly to document US and Chinese COVID-19 vaccine distribution patterns between 2021 and 2022. It combines regression data with qualitative insights from elite interviews to categorize aid strategies into four distinct types: preserving, pressuring, protecting, and peeling. The data specifically examines how great power rivalry influenced health aid allocation to countries like Paraguay and Nicaragua.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the 'peeling' strategy by correlating US vaccine aid with recipient diplomatic ties to China
• Comparing 'protecting' vs 'pressuring' tactics using regression results for Chinese aid distribution
• Investigating health aid as a foreign policy tool through the provided elite interview transcripts

Strengths

• Includes original elite interview data for Bayesian reasoning
• Covers 2021-2022 distribution cycles for two global powers
• Integrates specific case studies of Taiwan allies Paraguay and Nicaragua

Limitations

• Geographic scope is limited to US and Chinese donor perspectives
• Temporal coverage is restricted to the 2021-2022 pandemic window
• Qualitative interview data may reflect the subjective views of selected elites

Provenance

Source

International Studies Quarterly Dataverse

Collection Method

Regression analysis of distribution records and Bayesian reasoning from original elite interviews

Time Range

2021-2022

Freshness

Covers the peak vaccine distribution period of 2021-2022; last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Global