China's Chequebook Diplomacy Runs Deep In The Pacific -- The TelegraphThe opening of a Chinese embassy in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean fits into a long-established pattern by Beijing of pursuing better relations with small island nations in the Pacific Ocean in a bid to win support at the United Nations vis a vis Taiwan, and as a bulwark against American influence.
Several Pacific island states have received significant amounts of development aid from China or Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade republic.
China and Taiwan continue to engage in what has often been called "chequebook diplomacy" with Pacific island nations, usually in the form of developmental aid or, in China's case, providing assistance for large government complexes, stadia or infrastructure projects.
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My Comment: While there are political strings attached to this money .... I have to raise the question on when will the conditions be military. It will be very simple for the Chinese to offer large sums of money to rent a naval or airbase in another country .... after-all ... the U.S. does it all the time.
Interestingly .... the Maldives are next door to the huge U.S. base at Diego Garcia.
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