The Chinese communist regime doubled down on its efforts to financially favor pro-China nations tht sent heads of state to the Games and met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in person. Experts call the recent move a sign of bribery diplomacy. Within the first three days of the Games, Xi had talks with foreign leaders from more than 20 countries and granted them purchase contracts worth billions of dollars or other assistance programs. Xi signed nearly 20 gas and oil contracts worth an estimated $117.5 billion with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 4, the opening day of the Games. On the following day, Xi met with five presidents from central Asian countries, including Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen, among others. Ten days prior to the face-to-face meeting, Xi talked to them via video link and announced that China would render $500 million worth of assistance gratis to the five countries …