1 Introduction

Explored the role and challenges of think tanks in promoting diplomatic relations between China and Central and Eastern European countries under the "China Central and Eastern European Countries Cooperation Mechanism". As a reflection of a country's soft power and discourse power, think tanks have a significant impact on government decision-making and public opinion dissemination. Central and Eastern European think tanks provide research cases for the integration process in areas such as economic transformation and national governance, while frequently expressing their views on China related issues, influencing government decision-making. Polish think tanks are particularly active, influencing China policy through research related to China, but facing the challenge of balancing independence and external support. The "China view" of think tanks not only reflects national ideology, but also influences the international community's perception of China. At present, there is a lack of literature and information analysis on China research by think tanks in Central and Eastern European countries. Strengthening research in this field can help grasp the trends of think tanks' public opinion on China, promote cooperation with China, and provide decision-making references for China Europe relations.

Definition of the Concept of "China View"

In recent years, the research on the "China view" in the domestic academic community has become increasingly rich, involving the perspectives of the international community, world powers, and neighboring countries. Scholars such as Xin Jianfei, Xu Liping, He Zhihu, and Xiao Xi have explored the historical evolution and current situation of the "Chinese view" through different methods. Research has mostly focused on analyzing information related to China from think tanks in the United States and Western European countries, but lacks horizontal comparisons. The observation of the "China view" is conducted from both horizontal and vertical perspectives, including the perspectives of the government, political elites, non-governmental organizations, and the public. This article focuses on the think tank level and analyzes the views and perceptions of China formed by Polish think tanks based on observation, thinking, and research activities.

3. Research Object and Sample Selection

After Poland joined the European Union in 2004, the number and variety of think tanks significantly increased. According to 2020 data, there are approximately 692 think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe, with Poland ranking first with 72 think tanks. This study selected four representative think tanks, namely the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), the Centre for Oriental Studies (OSW), the Warsaw Institute (WI), and the Centre for Asian Affairs (OSA), as research subjects. PISM was founded in 1996, focusing on fields such as European integration, international security, and international relations; OSW was founded in 1990, focusing on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and China, researching issues such as security, energy, and immigration; WI was founded in 2014, researching fields such as international relations, energy, and security; OSA was established in 2015 and has cooperation with East Asian countries in terms of economy, politics, and culture. The research sample includes the first research report on China published by various think tanks until February 18, 2022, which was obtained using web crawling methods. The research report has a moderate length, sufficient argumentation, and high completeness, including an overview, methods, analysis, conclusions, recommendations, and other structures. The study conducted descriptive statistical analysis through bibliometric methods to analyze the annual changes in the number of research results and high-frequency authors, as well as the overall trends in research fields and attitudes towards China. Qualitative text analysis was used to extract the framework of the Polish think tank "China View".

The main characteristics of the Polish think tank "China View"

The Warsaw Institute (WI) has published 212 research reports related to China over a research period, the largest number of which began in 2020, with fast updates and novel entry points. The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) has published 148 articles and has established a dedicated team since 2017 to have influence both domestically and internationally. The Center for Oriental Studies (OSW) has published 99 articles since 2010, while the Center for Asian Affairs (OSA) has published 44 articles. In terms of the number of researchers, PISM has 13 people, OSW has 10 people, and WI and OSA each have 5 people. The research team is networked, with core scholars including Sirina, Przewalski, Yakubovski, Pashak, Medmin, and Kowalski. In terms of research content, WI mainly focuses on short comments, PISM mainly focuses on mid length reports and event analysis, OSW mainly focuses on medium length reports, and OSA mainly focuses on short reports. In terms of research fields and topics, the four think tanks are most concerned with China's foreign relations, followed by domestic politics and economy, as well as China's relations with the European Union and the United States. After the COVID-19, the focus and judgment of think tanks on China have changed. Emotion analysis shows that WI, OSW, and OSA have a positive attitude towards China, while PISM is slightly negative. The objective neutrality, rational criticism, and pragmatic economic "China view" of think tanks is consistent with Poland's policy towards China.

5 Conclusion and Implications

The "China view" of Polish think tanks mainly focuses on economic, political, and foreign relations issues, and tends to strengthen cooperation with China. The networked operation of think tanks and the utilization of social media have accelerated the construction and dissemination of the "China view". The research implications include: actively constructing topics and grasping the initiative of discourse; Scientifically drawing on the views of Polish think tanks on China; Understand the experience of Polish think tank construction and encourage cooperation between think tanks. China should learn from the experience of Polish think tanks, improve the quality of the achievements of Chinese characteristic new think tanks, and achieve high-quality development.