IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v58y2021ics0275531921000970.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How does intellectual property protection in the host country affect outward foreign direct investment?

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Fengchun
  • Liang, Ting
  • Zhou, Xiang

Abstract

This paper empirically analyses the impact of a host country’s intellectual property (IP) protection on Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), employing panel data of 109 host countries’ FDI stocks and IP protection levels. Based on the regression results, it is concluded that the host country’s IP protection has a significant impact on Chinese OFDI. By including an interaction term into the regression, it can be seen that a host country’s trade openness enhances the influence of intellectual property protection on OFDI. Using subsample regressions, it was found that the positive effect of the protection of IP rights by the host country on China’s OFDI is stronger in the countries along China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. For a subsample of countries with a lower degree of IP protection than China, the positive effect of IP protection is weaker than in ones with a higher IP protection level. The results obtained through a threshold regression, show that host countries can be divided into three categories, based on gross domestic product per capita, namely low, medium and high development levels. The higher the level of economic development of the host country, the greater the impact of IP protection on China’s OFDI. The host countries are also categorised into low-, medium- and high-level IP protection levels. As the level of a host country’s IP protection improves, it promotes OFDI from China.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Fengchun & Liang, Ting & Zhou, Xiang, 2021. "How does intellectual property protection in the host country affect outward foreign direct investment?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:58:y:2021:i:c:s0275531921000970
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2021.101476
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531921000970
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2021.101476?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lee Branstetter & Ray Fisman & C. Fritz Foley & Kamal Saggi, 2023. "Does intellectual property rights reform spur industrial development?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Kamal Saggi (ed.), Technology Transfer, Foreign Direct Investment, and the Protection of Intellectual Property in the Global Economy, chapter 13, pages 307-316, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. Smith, Pamela J., 1999. "Are weak patent rights a barrier to U.S. exports?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 151-177, June.
    3. Peter J. Buckley & Mark Casson, 1991. "The Future of the Multinational Enterprise," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, edition 0, number 978-1-349-21204-0, October.
    4. Helpman, Elhanan, 1993. "Innovation, Imitation, and Intellectual Property Rights," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(6), pages 1247-1280, November.
    5. Ginarte, Juan C. & Park, Walter G., 1997. "Determinants of patent rights: A cross-national study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 283-301, October.
    6. Nabokin, Tatjana, 2014. "Global Investment Decisions and Patent Protection: Evidence from German Multinationals," Discussion Papers in Economics 21266, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    7. Steven Globerman & Daniel Shapiro, 2003. "Governance infrastructure and US foreign direct investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(1), pages 19-39, January.
    8. Mathew, Anuj Joshua & Mukherjee, Arijit, 2014. "Intellectual property rights, southern innovation and foreign direct investment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 128-137.
    9. John H. Dunning, 1977. "Trade, Location of Economic Activity and the MNE: A Search for an Eclectic Approach," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Bertil Ohlin & Per-Ove Hesselborn & Per Magnus Wijkman (ed.), The International Allocation of Economic Activity, chapter 12, pages 395-418, Palgrave Macmillan.
    10. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    11. Glass, Amy Jocelyn & Saggi, Kamal, 2002. "Intellectual property rights and foreign direct investment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 387-410, March.
    12. Patrick Regnér & Jesper Edman, 2014. "MNE institutional advantage: How subunits shape, transpose and evade host country institutions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(3), pages 275-302, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ouyang, Shanshan & Li, Yanxi & Wu, Haowen & Zhao, Heng & Xu, Runxiang, 2023. "Structure and evolution of the greenfield FDI network along the belt and road," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Schclarek, Alfredo & Xu, Jiajun & Amuchastegui, Pedro, 2022. "Panda bond financing of the Belt and Road Initiative: An analysis of monetary mechanisms and financial risks," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    3. Ren, Meixu & Zhao, Jinxuan & Zhao, Jingmei, 2023. "Why is it difficult for Chinese companies to operate across regions in China?—Evidence from zombie companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kamal Saggi, 2016. "Trade, Intellectual Property Rights, and the World Trade Organization," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 16-00014, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    2. Canals, Claudia & Şener, Fuat, 2014. "Offshoring and intellectual property rights reform," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 17-31.
    3. Elif Bascavusoglu & Maria Pluvia Zuniga, 2005. "The effects of intellectual property protection on international knowledge contracting," Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques bla05009, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    4. Lin, Jenny X. & Lincoln, William F., 2017. "Pirate's treasure," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 235-245.
    5. Nagano, Mamoru, 2013. "Similarities and differences among cross-border M&A and greenfield FDI determinants: Evidence from Asia and Oceania," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 100-118.
    6. Gancia, Gino & Bonfiglioli, Alessandra, 2008. "North-South trade and directed technical change," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 276-295, December.
    7. Azevedo, Mónica L. & Afonso, Óscar & Silva, Sandra T., 2014. "Endogenous growth and intellectual property rights: A north–south modeling proposal," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 112-120.
    8. Anja, Breitwieser & Neil, Foster, 2012. "Intellectual property rights, innovation and technology transfer: a survey," MPRA Paper 36094, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Iain Osgood & Yilang Feng, 2018. "Intellectual property provisions and support for US trade agreements," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 421-455, September.
    10. Eicher, Theo & García-Peñalosa, Cecilia, 2008. "Endogenous strength of intellectual property rights: Implications for economic development and growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 237-258, February.
    11. Zheng, Zhijie & Huang, Chien-Yu & Yang, Yibai, 2020. "Patent protection, innovation, and technology transfer in a Schumpeterian economy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    12. Auriol, Emmanuelle & Biancini, Sara & Paillacar, Rodrigo, 2023. "Intellectual property rights protection and trade: An empirical analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    13. Angus C. Chu, 2024. "Macroeconomic effects of intellectual property rights: an updated survey," Chapters, in: Walter G. Park (ed.), Handbook of Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights, chapter 2, pages 13-26, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    14. Sebastian Benz, 2012. "Trading Tasks: A Dynamic Theory of Offshoring," ifo Working Paper Series 150, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    15. Wonkyu Shin & Keun Lee & Walter G. Park, 2016. "When an Importer's Protection of IPR Interacts with an Exporter's Level of Technology: Comparing the Impacts on the Exports of the North and South," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(6), pages 772-802, June.
    16. Hu, Xiaotian & Yin, Xiaopeng, 2022. "Do stronger intellectual property rights protections raise productivity within the context of trade liberalization? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    17. Jenny X. Lin & William Lincoln, 2017. "Pirate�s Treasure," Working Papers 17-51, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    18. Pamela J. Smith & Sebastian J. Anti, 2022. "How does TRIPs compliance affect the economic growth of developing countries? Application of the Synthetic Control method," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(12), pages 3873-3906, December.
    19. Olena Ivus, "undated". "Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights: Theory and Empirics," Working Papers 2009-02, Department of Economics, University of Calgary, revised 03 Feb 2009.
    20. René Belderbos, 2006. "R&D Activities in East Asia by Japanese, European, and US Multinationals," Microeconomics Working Papers 21887, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:58:y:2021:i:c:s0275531921000970. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ribaf .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.