In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Martin Hala discusses the impact of China’s economic and political investments in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe, revealing these investments’ surprising ability to influence and impact governance institutions in the region and beyond. Martin Hala is a sinologist based in Prague and is founder and director of Sinopsis.cz, an initiative covering topics related to China in the Czech Republic and farther afield. Christopher Walker, NED vice president for studies and analysis, and Shanthi Kalathil, senior director of NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, cohost the conversation.

For more on this topic, read Martin Hala’s Journal of Democracy article, “China in Xi’s ‘New Era’: Forging a New ‘Eastern Bloc.’”

The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff.