MNEs have great power and implement different strategies to influence the political environment where they operate. They have particular relations with relevant actors at various levels, generating certain political behaviour. In this article, the authors focus on how some firms utilize international organizations and business groups to advance their interests, advance governance, exert power, and contribute to ESG. The purpose of this research is first, to examine the geopolitical context of the MNEs' operations, and secondly, to analyse the firms' political strategies to promote ESG that they implement at a regional level, including companies in the green energy and pharmaceutical industries, and industry associations in the CEE region.

This paper discusses the influence of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on business in Poland and in the Czech Republic during the years 2015–2023 as the main "land bridge" between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. The BRI was launched by President Xi Jinping in September 2013 and involved directly more than 150 countries worldwide with a total investment of more than 1 trillion USD. The main objective of this study is to compare the influence of BRI on Poland's and the Czech Republic's economies and the business management of large companies in strategic sectors, as well as to elucidate China's interests in the CEE region. This paper also discusses the potential business threats and concerns regarding sovereignty and the increasing indebtedness of businesses, along with their possible international implications. The article allows to identify the Polish and Czech companies with Chinese capital and the potential influence that Chinese investors may have on business management, ranging from telecommunications and security sectors to food and chemicals. The most influenced sectors are among others IT and security which may involve vulnerabilities not only for Central and Eastern Europe but also for the European Union.