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Not looking for trouble: Understanding large-scale Chinese overseas investment by sector and ownership

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  • Luo, Limin
  • Qi, Zhen
  • Hubbard, Paul

Abstract

This paper contributes to the systematic understanding of Chinese investment abroad, and particularly the role of state-owned enterprise (SOE) investors, in two ways. Firstly, we identify major problems in the literature stemming from wide-spread data deficiencies in data. Specifically, the reliability of previous research results has been limited by data sets that do not identify the final destination for Chinese investment, nor suitably differentiate between different ownership types. By augmenting the project-level data from the China Global Investment Tracker with detailed ownership information for each firm, this study reveals that large-scale investment in natural resource investment, which surged after 2008, is dominated by state-owned enterprises controlled by China's central government. But it also reveals a newer wave of non-resource investment after 2009 in which non-state enterprise plays the leading role.

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  • Luo, Limin & Qi, Zhen & Hubbard, Paul, 2017. "Not looking for trouble: Understanding large-scale Chinese overseas investment by sector and ownership," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 142-164.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:46:y:2017:i:c:p:142-164
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2017.08.006
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    Cited by:

    1. Dürr, Niklas S. & Rammer, Christian & Böing, Philipp, 2020. "Direktinvestitionen zwischen Deutschland und China aus einer innovationspolitischen Sicht: Studie im Auftrag der Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation," Studien zum deutschen Innovationssystem 8-2020, Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation (EFI) - Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation, Berlin.
    2. Ruilin Yang & Harald Bathelt, 2022. "China's outward investment activity: Ambiguous findings in the literature and empirical trends in greenfield investments," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 313-341, March.
    3. Xiaoling Zhang & Decai Tang & Brandon J. Bethel, 2021. "Analyzing the Characteristics and Evolution of Chinese Enterprises’ Outward Forward Direct Investment Host Country Network," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Clemens Fuest & Felix Hugger & Samina Sultan & Jing Xing, 2022. "What drives Chinese overseas M&A investment? Evidence from micro data," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 306-344, February.
    5. Yu, Zhen & Xiao, Yao & Li, Jinpo, 2021. "How does geopolitical uncertainty affect Chinese overseas investment in the energy sector? Evidence from the South China Sea Dispute," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    6. Yameng Wang & Apurbo Sarkar & Linyan Ma & Qian Wu & Feng Wei, 2021. "Measurement of Investment Potential and Spatial Distribution of Arable Land among Countries within the “Belt and Road Initiative”," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-23, September.
    7. Benye Shi & Tian Cai, 2020. "Has China’s Oil Investment in Belt and Road Initiative Countries Helped Its Oil Import?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-13, June.
    8. Dmytro Osiichuk & Paweł Wnuczak, 2023. "Do Corporate Consolidations Affect the Competitive Positioning of Non-Financial Firms in China?," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    9. Xia Li & Kevin P. Gallagher, 2022. "Assessing the climate change exposure of foreign direct investment," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. Zhu, Ying & Sardana, Deepak & Tang, Ryan, 2022. "Heterogeneity in OFDI by EMNEs: Drivers and trends of Chinese and Indian firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6).
    11. Lisha He & Ronghao Jiang & Mia M. Bennett, 2020. "The rise of Chinese foreign direct investment in the United States: Disentangling investment strategies of state‐owned and private enterprises," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(4), pages 1562-1587, December.
    12. Zhao, Yong & Shi, Xunpeng & Song, Feng, 2020. "Has Chinese outward foreign direct investment in energy enhanced China's energy security?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    13. Guillon, Marlène & Mathonnat, Jacky, 2020. "What can we learn on Chinese aid allocation motivations from available data? A sectorial analysis of Chinese aid to African countries," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    14. Zhen Qi & Tristan Kenderdine & Tingfeng Tang & Qiren Liu, 2022. "China's anti‐corruption campaign and outward foreign direct investment by state‐owned enterprises," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(9), pages 2950-2976, September.
    15. h.c. Clemens Fuest & Felix Hugger & Samina Sultan & Jing Xing, 2019. "Chinese acquisitions abroad: are they different?," CESifo Working Paper Series 7585, CESifo Group Munich.
    16. Marlène Guillon & Jacky Mathonnat, 2019. "What can we learn on Chinese aid allocation motivations from available data ? A sectorial analysis of Chinese aid to African countries," Post-Print hal-02005784, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China's overseas direct investment; State-owned enterprises; Private enterprises; Data deficiencies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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