The New York Times reports on China’s aid to East Timor, which it describes as a “soft power” effort to build up allies in the region. According to the article, China is helping to build the future Foreign Ministry, providing assistance to the military, and training civil servants, while also holding onto a potential role in development of offshore oil fields:
China’s friendly stance is part of a broad diplomatic and economic policy throughout the region to which some people give the gentle description “soft power.” Most analysts say East Timor seems to be of interest less as a prize in its own right than as a natural extension of China’s energetic courtship of its neighbors in Southeast Asia.
“In a region where there is a historic fear of China, they are promoting the idea that China is a friendly partner,” said Joshua Kurlantzick, the author of a new book called “Charm Offensive: How China’s Soft Power Is Transforming the World.” [Full text]
[Image: A billboard in Dili, East Timor, shows what the country’s Foreign Ministry complex, a gift from China, will look like. From ADP-Getty Images, via the New York Times]
