It was Vanuatu's turn earlier this month; now it's Antigua. I'll bet you never realised China's Government is so interested in cricket it has paid for a cricket stadium in Antigua for the 2007 World Cricket Cup. Total spent: US$23 million, plus an additional US$600,000 on "sports aid". China is extremely active in using foreign aid for political ends. That money could be better used improving China's domestic infrastructure, helping dislocated migrants, the unemployed, the impoverished or demographic changes. But the race to tie up small nations in the dollar diplomacy war takes precedence.

Sometimes competition produces perverse results. Taiwan and China's dollar diplomacy is a perfect example.