Third, the strategic stakes had to do not with controlling the territory of Vietnam but with prestige and credibility.

'For a relatively modest investment at a very acceptable price we have obtained an important strategic stake in a core business which has considerable growth potential.'

Though hard to quantify, the strategic and financial stakes are substantial.

"Being regulated," Kenneth Johnston says, "they had a strategic stake in improving their customer relations, which affects their ability to get rate increases."

Intel Capital acquired a strategic stake in Primetel, Chengdu's first foreign technology company in 2001.

Portuguese banks hold strategic stakes in other sectors of the economy, including the insurance sector.

An Eircom executive said no figures were mentioned for the "small and strategic stake."

On 6 February 2012, it was announced that HBO had taken a $10 million strategic stake in the company.

"Russia is using its strategic stakes to integrate their businesses into the global economy," an executive said.

For if we had such a large strategic stake, it was clearly unwise to rely on covert activity as the core of our policy.