This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
On November 27, 2019, the Lowy Institute released its biennial Global Diplomacy Index, revealing a significant shift in the global diplomatic landscape.
China's rapid rise up the rankings of diplomatic networks continued in 2019, with the opening of diplomatic posts in countries that had previously recognized Taiwan.
According to the report, China has for the first time surpassed the United States' network by three posts, with 276 posts globally.
The US, on the other hand, opened no new posts and was forced to shutter its consulate in Saint Petersburg, amid tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions following the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain.
Despite this, the US remained the most popular place to have an embassy or consulate, with 342 posts, compared to 256 foreign diplomatic missions in China.
Beijing's footprint continued to grow, with new missions popping up in Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Gambia, and Sao Tome and Principe – all former diplomatic friends of Taipei.
The index may be a blunt indicator of influence, but it offers a snapshot of broader political trends.
Notably, the UK has dropped to 11th in the rankings, below Italy, Spain, and Brazil, despite a pledge to develop a 'Global Britain' without European Union membership.
Meanwhile, Ireland and the Netherlands have boosted their diplomatic networks by more than half a dozen missions each, as part of their Brexit strategies to take economic and diplomatic advantage of Britain's retreat.
