Last week, days after The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration awarded the Philippines a victory in its case against China in the dispute over rights to the South China Sea, Beijing began a massive public relations campaign to press its position.

Part of China’s campaign includes shoring up international support to denounce the ruling and approaching other nations to voice their backing for Beijing. Cambodia, which receives significant aid from Beijing, was one of the first to do so.

So what can be made of China’s use of what some call “checkbook diplomacy”?

http://www.voanews.com/content/china-soft-power-asean/3430297.html