The new Chinese diplomacy
A Chinese worker of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) looks on January 30, 2010 at the site of the new African Union (AU) conference center in Addis Ababa.
BEIJING, China — There is a very specific formula to Chinese diplomacy.
From national soccer stadiums to plush and modern conference centers, Chinese architecture bestowed as governmental gifts is making an indelible mark. If you've ever wondered how China has risen so quickly in global stature, this ongoing list of buildings compiled by Chinese internet users might be worth a thousand words by way of explanation.
The Ministry of Tofu has translated the posts and some of the comments about China's largesse, a showcase of Chinese government gifts in the form of buildings, around the world.
More from GlobalPost: Asia’s skyscraper supremacy
All the buildings are in developing countries, predominantly in Africa, where China has been working for decades to leave a diplomatic impression.
The compulsive curation of photos comes amid a huge hubbub among Chinese netizens in recent days with the unveiling of what may be the biggest show yet of China's largesse. In the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, the showy new highrise headquarters of the African Union, reportedly build and paid for by China for $200 million, opened a few days ago.
More from GlobalPost: AU's new Chinese-built headquarters opens in Addis Ababa
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.