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China’s #2 at the Embassy in Zimbabwe Gets in a Twitter Feud Over Vaccines With Opposition Youth Leader and Media

by Eric Olander

The outspoken Minister Counsellor (similar to the role of Chargé d’Affaires at other embassies) at the Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe, Zhao Baogang, got into a high-profile Twitter smackdown with a youth leader from the opposition MDC Alliance over the efficacy of Chinese-made vaccines.

Later, ZimEye, a well-known digital publication that has been very critical of Chinese engagement in Zimbabwe, provoked the diplomat to issue a blistering response to the rather mild suggestion that China would help improve acceptance of its vaccines around the world if only it would release the clinical trial data:

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