In China's shadow, U.S. rushes back to neglected Seychelles

[Celerity]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/01/seychelles-china-us-diplomatic-relations/

https://archive.ph/DnXI1



MAHE ISLAND, Seychelles — At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force tracking station that monitored Soviet satellites from this island’s soaring tropical forests was a focus of Seychelles life. The American servicemen and technicians living nearby hosted barbecues and bar nights to which all Seychellois were invited, distributed cookies and milk to local children and taught them basketball. Then, the Cold War ended, the Soviet Union collapsed and in 1996 the Americans left, dismantling the tracking station and shutting down their embassy — citing budgetary reasons for abandoning what had seemingly become an irrelevant corner of the world.

Today, the compound where Americans and Seychellois partied is home to the Seychelles Tourism Academy, where young islanders training to be tour guides, hoteliers and masseuses take classes, among other subjects, in Chinese — just one small manifestation of a new geopolitical rivalry that has now lured the Americans back. In June, Seychelles became the latest in a string of small nations around the world in which the United States has established, restored or is planning to open an embassy as part of a broad pushback against the influence China has acquired during more than two decades of neglect or disinterest on the part of the United States.



All are in small islands that had been judged insufficiently strategic by Washington to merit the cost of maintaining a diplomatic presence, including Seychelles, Tonga and the Solomon Islands, where embassies have been opened this year, and Maldives, Vanuatu and Kiribati, where embassies are planned, according to the State Department. Seychelles offers an example of the ways America’s absence opened the door to Chinese influence. In the 27 years since the United States pulled out, China has built schools, hospitals, houses for low-income families and public amenities, winning sympathy among Seychellois who felt abandoned by the U.S. departure.

“They do the little things that America doesn’t do. This is where the Americans are weak. There is nothing we can say America built,” said Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan in an interview. “This is why countries like China have come in, because there was a vacuum.” Seychelles officials say they are delighted to have the Americans back but also recognize that China is likely the main reason for the return, potentially pulling Seychelles into the big power rivalry. “We cannot say we are naive. We do understand the competition going on. In the Cold War we had the United States and the Soviet Union and now it is the United States and China,” Seychelles Foreign Minister Sylvestre Radegonde said in an interview. “Someone woke up and realized how important it is to counter the Chinese influence.”

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[bahboo]

1. I volunteer to go....

of course I have no relevant talents, and am almost 70 years old...but it looks like a beautiful place. I could do a good job of hanging with the locals....call me....

[Bobstandard]

2. Great surf and fly fishing!

The Seychelles, Kiribati and the Maldives all have great surf and fly fishing for Giant Trevaley and other game fish. I haven’t been but Tonga and the rest probably do too. For those reasons alone we should be present and a positive influence. But please, don’t send any assholes with no sympathy for the local culture, economy, etc. in other words, send no Republicans. They’d just pull their usual ‘massa’ bullshit with the locals and sell the place out to the Chinese.