China's spending spree throughout the South Pacific is drying up as Beijing instead seeks to cement its footprint in a smaller number of "friendly states", Australian researchers said Tuesday. Over the past decade China has lavished billions of dollars on aid and infrastructure in Pacific island nations, attempting to wrest influence from traditional regional allies Australia and the United States. Australia's Lowy Institute said Beijing was now scaling back this "brash" cash splash, concentrating its efforts on "China-friendly" countries such as Solomon Islands and Kiribati.