Kampala, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
China’s expanding engagement with island nations across the Indian Ocean and Pacific is combining infrastructure investment, economic assistance, diplomatic outreach and strategic cooperation, reflecting Beijing’s broader efforts to strengthen its regional influence, according to a report published by Uganda-based media outlet PML Daily.
The report cited Seychelles as an important example of China’s growing engagement with small island states. It noted that Beijing has developed a substantial presence in the country through projects involving schools, hospitals, housing and public infrastructure.
The strategic significance of Seychelles extends beyond its relatively small population and economy. Located in the western Indian Ocean, the island nation has a large maritime domain and sits along important routes connecting Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Against this backdrop, the report linked the reopening of the US Embassy in Seychelles in 2023 to Washington’s renewed attention to China’s growing influence among small island states. The United States had closed its embassy in the country in 1996.
According to the report, China’s engagement with Seychelles is part of a wider effort to build economic and political relationships across the Indian Ocean, where infrastructure, trade and maritime security are increasingly interconnected.
The report also identified the Pacific as another region where Beijing has used economic and diplomatic engagement to expand its influence. Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019, while Nauru followed in January 2024.
These moves reduced Taiwan’s formal diplomatic presence in the Pacific and highlighted the strategic importance of island nations in the competition between Beijing and Taipei, the report said.
It cited the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which has identified China-Taiwan rivalry as an important element of Beijing’s engagement with Pacific island countries. China’s approach combines diplomatic outreach with development assistance, infrastructure projects and economic partnerships.
The report said the Pacific experience could offer a useful point of comparison for understanding China’s Indian Ocean engagement, while acknowledging that the political and strategic circumstances in the two regions differ.
It argued that closer economic relationships with small island states can also contribute to stronger political ties, potentially advancing China’s wider strategic interests.
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