China’s Sinopharm has this week begun rolling out its COVID-19 vaccination program in the Solomon Islands, amid wider concerns of Beijing’s “vaccine diplomacy” efforts and attempts to expand its hegemony in the South Pacific region. Deputy Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga received the first jab on May 21 at a vaccination launch ceremony at the Central Field Hospital in the capital Honiara. He said the Islands were the first among Pacific nations to receive the Chinese-made vaccines and “expressed gratitude” to the Chinese authorities. Maelanga’s inoculation was carried out to demonstrate the “safety and effectiveness” of the vaccine, according to the Chinese state-run media outlet Xinhua. The efficacy of vaccines from Sinopharm, and fellow Chinese state-owned firm Sinovac, have been questioned, with different countries reporting wildly different success rates. In April, Beijing donated 50,000 vaccines to the nation, with Chinese Ambassador Li Ming saying, “Solomon Islands is actually the first Pacific …