Pakistan ranks first in the list of 82 countries most affected by China: Report

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that a new study measuring Beijing's growing global dominance has revealed that Pakistan is the country in the world most influenced by China.

Pakistan tops the list of 82 countries

The China Index, a database relaunched on December 8 by Doublethink Labs, a Taiwan-based research organization, has placed Pakistan at the top of the list among 82 other countries across the globe. It has been said that its ties to, and reliance on, China in foreign and domestic policy, technology, and economy make it particularly vulnerable to Chinese influence.

Cambodia and Singapore at number two

According to the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) report, Pakistan is followed by Cambodia and Singapore, while Thailand is at number three. The Philippines is ranked seventh while Malaysia is ranked 10th. South Africa and Peru are ranked fifth in the index.

Kyrgyzstan at number eight

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are ranked eighth and ninth in the index. Both these countries share a border with China's Xinjiang province and are the Central Asian countries most affected by Beijing.

Germany is on top in European countries

According to the news report, Germany is the highest-ranked European country in the 19th position, while the United States is in the 21st position. When compiling China's index, the research team focused on nine categories to monitor influence around the world, including higher education, domestic politics, economic relations, foreign policy, military cooperation, media, technology, and cultural ties.

The database aims to spread awareness about the Chinese influence

Speaking to RFE/RL, Min Hwen-woo, co-founder and CEO of Doublethink Labs, said the database has been created to raise awareness about various aspects of China's influence. RFE/RL quoted Wu as saying, "One of the main goals of this database is to increase worldwide awareness of various aspects of Chinese influence."

'We've looked very broadly and finely at what the impact could be, which can tell us more about what Beijing is doing and the different ways it applies pressure,' Min Hwan-woo said.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is the main reason

Pakistan topping the index comes as no surprise, as the South Asian country is home to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a centerpiece of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative, which over the past 10 years has involved financing Chinese entities in the development of infrastructure projects.

Pakistan's relations with China increased

According to the RFE/RL report, Pakistan's relations with China have grown in every sphere, especially in military ties, technology, and foreign policy. Shahzeb Jilani, a veteran journalist who helped compile the research on Pakistan used for the database, said he can only hope that the index will educate Pakistanis about the pros and cons of the country's relationship with China. Will encourage debate.

UK ranks second among European countries

As per the news report, Uzbekistan is listed in the 24th position while Turkmenistan which sells a major part of its natural gas to China is listed in the 45th position. The United Kingdom ranks 27th on the index and is ranked as the second-largest European country. This time, the database included 82 countries, however, DoubleThink Labs has plans to expand it in the future, specifically across Africa.

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