In 1994, China announced that it would "use all economic and diplomatic resources to reward countries that are willing to isolate Taiwan."

And how do you reward countries that perform well, like ours?

China is quite open about rewarding foreign countries for shutting up.

Brazil is leading a campaign to persuade rich nations to contribute to a fund that will reward developing countries that decrease rates of deforestation.

To the Editor: Though it is important to reward countries for good governance, we must realize the urgency of global poverty first.

Investors could reward countries that disclose more, and charge higher "risk premiums" to those that refuse to go along.

We should not reward countries like Uganda and Egypt that curtail freedom of association, including the right to form political parties and politically active civil society groups.

Contrasting decisions involving two African species - elephants and rhinoceroses - point to the difficulties facing the group as they try to reward countries for their conservation efforts.

They reward local sustainable energy projects in the UK and developing countries that protect the environment, and improve quality of life.

We might, for example, be able to reward countries with financial benefits for improved working conditions.