China in the World Network Thursday issued a report stating that Pakistantopped the China Index of People’s Republic of China (PRC) influence.
China Index is an initiative to measure and compare the People’s Republicof China (PRC)’s global influence launching in 82 countries.
Pakistan topped the overall rankings in the China index in which therankings are determined by summing graded responses to 99 Indicators, eachof which observes a single discreet instance of PRC influence.
These Indicators are devised by the Index Committee of experts in PRCinfluence tactics, and split equally across nine Domains which are Media,Academia, Economy, Society, Military, Technology, Law Enforcement, LocalPolitics, and Foreign Policy.
The China Index 2022 is the first research initiative to measure andcompare PRC influence overseas which allows academics, civil societyadvocates, media, and policymakers to better understand related issues andconduct comparative analysis across different countries and regions.
Pakistan came on the top with a score of 242 from 380 with the mostinfluenced domains being technology, Foreign Policy and Military.
Cambodia came on number two in this Ranking while Singapore came third withthe most influenced domains of Law Enforcement, Military, Foreign Policyand technology, academia and economy respectively.
China Index’s regional partner for Pakistan, Shahzeb Jillani, noted thatthe Index provides an opportunity for Pakistanis to assess how Beijing’sfootprint and influence has expanded. He said, “Many in Pakistan may besurprised that of the 80+ countries in the Index, their country came on topand one can only hope that this will encourage Pakistanis to debate thepros and cons of the relationship and what it could mean for the future.”
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Pakistan emerged as the frontrunner in what the China Index research leadand Doublethink Lab Chairman refers to as the “Dependence cluster” of PRCinfluence comprising the Economy, Technology and Domestic Politics Domains.Pakistan also places first under an ultimate “Rulemaking cluster” ofinfluence in the Military, Law Enforcement and Foreign Policy Domains.
Germany was the highest ranking European country in the list and emerged in6th position in the Ideology cluster. “Completing the Index responses madeclear there is an urgent need to know more about what the Chinese CommunistParty is doing in Germany,” added Newsweek’s Berlin-based InternationalAffairs Correspondent focusing on China.
China Index’s local expert for Germany. “This is a matter of concern as ittouches directly on Germany’s sovereignty and ability to manage itsinterests, including the democratic system. We are in a fluid moment whereperceptions are changing.”
The United Kingdom was the second-highest ranking geography in the Europeanregion, in 27th position overall. It was stated that the results shows thatlocal level engagement is a bigger feature of UK-Chinese relations thantypically thought.
“The UK’s underlying exposure to PRC influence is spread widely rather thanfocused on one or two metrics where it is exceptionally high and thefindings suggest that local level linkages play an important role in thewider relationship. We believe such links became far more” said IndexResearch partner for UK.