Thank you for the heads-up.
China is doing similar “cultivating” in South America AND in Africa. A lot of it has to do with mineral rights (though political/military ties are always in their thinking and outreach). China’s also setting up multiple base camps in Antarctica so that they will have a strong voice regarding mining (stakes) when the issue of exploiting those resources comes up again for international review in the 2040’s (?).
Yes, I agree with you.
China is also upgrading their military and military-related hardware.
The world is getting smaller.
Thanks for starting this thread Cincinatus’ Wife.