KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 12): Malaysia has been ranked 10th among 82 in a list of countries in the world that is the most influenced by China, according to a new study that measures Beijing's expanding global sway.

The China Index — a database released on December 8 by DoubleThink Labs, a Taiwan-based research organisation, focused on nine categories to track influence around the world that include higher education, domestic politics, economic ties, foreign policy, law enforcement, media, military cooperation, cultural links, and technology.

DoubleThink Labs said the indicators are distributed to local experts in index countries who provide factual evidence for whether the phenomenon is observed or not.

It said local experts’ responses are reviewed, quantified, and normalised to provide country profile and domain rankings.

Together, the indicators comprise the first and only research effort to compile China’s influence into a single set of observable phenomena.

The country profiles, domains, and indicators will be periodically updated to assist academia, civil society, media, and policymakers in analyzing and understanding the evolving nature and impacts of the China’s global influence.

As of November 2022, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Singapore are ranked as most exposed to China influence.

Meanwhile, Paraguay, North Macedonia, and Albania are ranked as least influenced.

Globally, China’s influence is assessed to be most prominent in the domains of technology, foreign policy, and domestic politics, and weakest in those of military and society.

Pakistan is the top-ranked country in the world that is the most influenced by China.

Behind Pakistan are Cambodia and Singapore listed in second and third, followed by Thailand.

The Philippines is seventh and Malaysia is 10th.

South Africa is the first African country at No 5, where it is tied with Peru, the highest-ranked South American country.