China boasts the world’s largest diplomatic network, according to an Australian think tank report, just ahead of the U.S.
Japan, which operates one of the world’s largest diplomatic networks with 251 posts, came in fourth behind Turkey.
The Lowy Institute's Global Diplomacy Index, which tracks the presence of overseas diplomatic missions, found that China had a larger footprint last year than the U.S. in key areas of geopolitical interest including the Pacific, East Asia and Central Asia.