The growth of Chinese economic and political influence has locked a number of Central and East European countries into long-term, large-scale and costly infrastructure projects that have contributed to an excessive dependence on Chinese capital. To analyze the extent of Chinese economic influence, the Center for the Study of Democracy has developed a Chinese Economic Power Index. This composite index is based upon comparative macroeconomic, financial, corporate, energy and environmental data, as well as an expert assessment of key governance deficits and the impact of a Chinese presence on the environment.

The report covers Chinese economic influence in 12 Central and East European countries and provides recommendations to address the political and environmental fallout from an excessive dependence on capital from China.

The main findings from the Index can be also found in an interactive flow article.