This chapter provides an overview of Chinese activities in CEE, highlighting gaps in existing literature that often focus on individual regions rather than the broader CEE context. The study explores developments in each CEE subregion, offering a holistic understanding of China’s engagement. The geopolitical landscape is increasingly multipolar, with power distributed among influential states, including the United States, China, and the EU. This multipolarity aligns with realism theory, which posits that states act self-interested to maximise power and security in an anarchic international system. China’s engagement with CEE can be viewed through this lens, as Beijing seeks to expand its influence and counterbalance Western dominance, particularly that of the EU and NATO. CEE countries can be classified into three groups: Optimists, Pragmatics, and Pessimists. The diverse responses of these countries to China’s engagement, from seeking stronger ties to limiting cooperation, highlight the complexity and nuances of the situation. The analysis shows China’s limited impact in the Visegrad region, with Hungary being an exception. Western Balkans see substantial Chinese influence in Serbia but limited elsewhere due to US and EU dominance. In Eastern Europe, Romania distances itself from China, Bulgaria maintains pragmatic ties, and Moldova seeks balanced relations. The Baltic states, initially enthusiastic, grew sceptical and withdrew from the 17 + 1 initiative, aligning more with transatlantic partnerships. Understanding China’s engagement in CEE through the prism of a Multipolar World Order 2.0 and realism theory underscores the strategic calculations of states striving to navigate the complexities of global power shifts.