China narrowly ahead of US in global diplomatic presence – but this may not translate into greater influence
- Beijing has 274 diplomatic missions around the world, compared with 271 for Washington, a new study has found
- The Pacific Islands are one of the main spheres of competition for the two powers, with both expanding their presence in the region over the past year
The Global Diplomacy Index published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, found that China had 274 diplomatic missions around the world, compared with 271 for the United States.
“Great power rivalry is as prevalent in diplomacy as in other fields, with the United States and China dominating the rankings,” the report said. “Geopolitical competition has propelled the Pacific and Asia into focus.”
It said China overtook the US in the number of diplomatic missions in 2019 and Washington had not caught up despite opening more missions since then.
Diplomatic observers cautioned that this would not necessarily translate into greater power and influence for Beijing.
“The number of diplomatic posts just means better representation on the ground. That may but does not have to translate into better relations or greater effectiveness in getting what a state wants,” said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.
