China has signed an agreement to join the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, a vaccine project that the United Nation’s health body and several other countries are working on to ensure poorer countries have access to COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available.

China was reluctant to support the project, toeing the path of Russia and the United States. However, China’s decision to sign the agreement means a boost to COVAX as it is the biggest economy to grace the project so far.

Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman said in a statement posted on Twitter that the decision was “an important step to uphold the concept of a shared community of health for all and to honor its commitment to turn COVID-19 vaccines into a global good.”

How poor countries would access COVID-19 vaccine became a serious question in the Wake of the world’s push for a vaccine and the US government’s preorder of about 1.6 billion vaccines.

To curtail the fear about poor nations lacking access to the vaccines, the WHO started the Global Access Facility (COVAX) in collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI and the Vaccine Alliance. The aim is to deliver some two billion doses of vaccine around the world by the end of 2021.

Considering the financial resources required, the WHO is wooing rich nations to join the project. Teaming up with 92 low and middle-income economies means there will be enough funds for the project.

COVAX’ goal is to produce at least three safe and effective vaccines that will be made available to all parties in the scheme.

However, some of the rich countries expected to grace the project, including the United States and Russia are working on their own vaccines. Russia has already developed the Sputnik, a vaccine it released in early September and is planning to distribute to some poor nations. While on the other hand, the US president is acting on his “America first” mantra, which means the US government will focus on the American when the vaccine becomes available.

The Chinese government has been testing experimental vaccines made by some companies on hundreds of people in China, as they get to the final phase of their clinical trials.

Against this backdrop, WHO’s invitation to rich nations to support COVAX has been unanswered by the rich economies.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, earlier this month, reiterated his call for additional $15 billion funding for the project by the end of the year.

COVAX is like Noah’s ark that will save the world from the deluge of COVID-19, but that pretty much depends on meeting the funding target: The reason why the WHO wants everybody on board.

“The race for vaccines is a collaboration, not a contest,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “This is not charity. We sink or swim together.”

The WHO is working to meet a late 2021 target for the distribution of the vaccines, spurring the push for countries to sign up. So far, more than 150 countries, which represent 64 percent of the world, have signed up on the COVAX project. But out of the 150 countries, only 64 are higher income countries.

China signing the agreement becomes imperative as it is seen to fill the leadership gap left by the United States. The White House said this month that the US would not join, partly because it has secured vaccines for itself and because of its fallout with the WHO, who Trump is not willing to work with for now.

The game changer pointed out by Washington Post would be if the vaccines the US and the rest of rich economies are counting on fail to be viable. It may force them and other indecisive countries to embrace COVAX.

But while it is encouraging to see China signed up, as it would more likely inspire other countries to do the same, challenges remain. The World Health Organization still falls far short of its overall goal with COVAX, particularly funding, which has been hampered by the economic strains of coronavirus and the US’ decision to stop funding the WHO.

Huawei has lost another market in Europe as Orange and Proximus picked Nokia for the building of a 5G network in Belgium.

The development underscores another win for the United States that has been pressuring its allies, especially in Europe to sever ties with the Chinese firm.

The Chinese telecom giant has been responsible for several telecom network infrastructures in Belgium, heightening the concern of the authorities that engaging it for 5G deployment could pose some security problem.

Huawei became a victim of political conflict between the United States and China, and the telecom giant is gradually losing its lead in global 5G roll out to Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson.

Washington had alleged that Huawei’s 5G network could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Western countries, an allegation the company has repeatedly denied. However, the US government has intensified pressure on its allies recently, to boot out Huawei or risk being cut off from its intelligence sharing.

The Belgium capital Brussels is home to the European Union’s executive body and parliament, and therefore it is a center of interest to the US intelligence agencies.

“Belgium has been 100% reliant on Chinese vendors for its radio networks and people working at NATO and the EU were making mobile phone calls on these networks. The operators are sending a signal that it’s important to have access to safe networks,” said John Strand, an independent Danish telecom consultant.

Brussels’ importance to the European Union explains why it wasn’t difficult for Belgium to choose Nokia over Huawei. Other countries in Europe, including Germany are still contemplating their move on Huawei.

However, Huawei said on Friday that it accepted Orange and Proximus decisions as it portrays fair competition and diversification.

“This is the outcome of a tender organized by operators and the result of the free market. We embrace fair competition, the more diversified a supply chain the more competitive it becomes,” Huawei’s spokesman said.

The deal gives Nokia the chance to penetrate a market which has been dominated for 10 years by Huawei.

“I have tried to become RAN (radio access network) supplier to Orange Belgium since 2003 when the company was still Mobistar. Here we are, finally,” tweeted Tommi Uitto, president of Nokia Mobile Networks.

Orange and Primus said Ericsson would supply the core of their 5G networks, though it is an insignificant part of the deal.

The details of the contract were not made public but Nokia shares went up 3% following the announcement.

However, the deal signals that EU members are becoming more concerned about potential security risks Huawei will pose. With more countries in Europe getting uncomfortable with Beijing’s activities, including the persecution of Uighur Muslims and the annexation of Hong Kong, yielding to the US’ assertion on Huawei is becoming easier.

The UK’s decision to part ways with Huawei earlier has also set a trajectory that many other countries in Europe are likely going to toe.

Outside Europe, other countries are also weighing their choices amidst US pressure. Fueled by squabbles with China on many fronts, France and Canada were quick to part ways with Huawei, opening way for other companies, including Bell Canada, Telus Corp in Canada and BT in Britain to grab market shares.

As Huawei chances to lead 5G deployment wane in Europe and North America, hope lies for it in developing continents. But countries in Africa and South America are not ready for 5G roll out yet.