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The economic geography of offshore incorporation in tax havens and offshore financial centres: the case of Chinese MNEs

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  • Peter J. Buckley
  • Dylan Sutherland
  • Hinrich Voss
  • Ahmad El-Gohari

Abstract

A large share of the outward foreign direct investment (FDI) of emerging market MNEs is directed towards a small number of specific tax havens and offshore financial centres. The establishment of investment-holding companies for taxation related purposes is frequently adduced as a key motivation (‘round-tripping’) for these investments. This explanation, however, accounts for neither the concentration of such investments in specific havens nor the comparatively large national shares of such investments that originate from emerging markets. Here we draw from and build links between the geography of money and finance and international business literatures to conceptually and empirically explore this prominent, if somewhat disregarded, feature of global FDI flows.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter J. Buckley & Dylan Sutherland & Hinrich Voss & Ahmad El-Gohari, 2015. "The economic geography of offshore incorporation in tax havens and offshore financial centres: the case of Chinese MNEs," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 103-128.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:15:y:2015:i:1:p:103-128.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeg/lbt040
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    Cited by:

    1. Chari, Murali & Acikgoz, Senay, 2016. "What drives emerging economy firm acquisitions in tax havens?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 664-671.
    2. Dylan Sutherland & John Anderson & Peter Hertenstein, 2018. "Is the Strategic Asset Seeking Investment Proclivity of Chinese MNEs Different to that of Developed Market MNEs? A Comparative Analysis of Location Choice and Orientation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(6), pages 911-933, December.
    3. Gerda Dewit & Dermot Leahy & Chris Jones & Yama Temouri, 2017. "Does Tax Haven FDI Influence Firm Performance?," Economics Department Working Paper Series n284-17.pdf, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    4. Huang, Youxing & Yang, Yu, 2023. "Determinants of Chinese energy OFDI location decisions and entry failure risk: The roles of public diplomacy endeavors and firm investment strategies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    5. Dylan Sutherland & Jean-Francois Hennart & John R. Anderson, 2019. "How does the routing of FDI to and via tax havens confound our understanding of Chinese MNE identity? A critical review of the empirical literature on Chinese MNEs," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(5), pages 337-359, November.
    6. Fei Ge & Peipei Wu & Yun Feng & Lu Gao, 2023. "Do enterprises with foreign direct investments in tax havens prefer charitable donations? Evidence from China," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(5), pages 2056-2076, November.
    7. Peter J Buckley & L Jeremy Clegg & Hinrich Voss & Adam R Cross & Xin Liu & Ping Zheng, 2018. "A retrospective and agenda for future research on Chinese outward foreign direct investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(1), pages 4-23, January.
    8. Jones, Chris & Temouri, Yama & Cobham, Alex, 2018. "Tax haven networks and the role of the Big 4 accountancy firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 177-193.
    9. Ascani, Andrea & Nair, Lakshmi Balachandran & Iammarino, Simona, 2023. "Racing to the bottom or seeking legitimacy? National environmental performance and the location strategies of Chinese MNEs," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    10. Valmor Comim Junior, 2021. "Literature review on Drivers of Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 5(4), pages 143-157.
    11. Päivi Karhunen & Svetlana Ledyaeva & Keith D. Brouthers, 2022. "Capital Round-Tripping: Determinants of Emerging Market Firm Investments into Offshore Financial Centers and Their Ethical Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 117-137, November.
    12. Zhaosu MENG & Kedong YIN & Yan ZHANG & Xun DONG, 2017. "The Risk Contagion Effect of Return Volatility between China’s Offshore and Onshore Foreign Exchange Market," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(4), pages 5-21, December.
    13. Vijay Pereira & Yama Temouri & Chris Jones & Ashish Malik, 2019. "Identity of Asian Multinational Corporations: influence of tax havens," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(5), pages 325-336, November.
    14. Jones, Chris & Temouri, Yama, 2016. "The determinants of tax haven FDI," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 237-250.
    15. Driffield, Nigel & Jones, Chris & Kim, Jae-Yeon & Temouri, Yama, 2021. "FDI motives and the use of tax havens: Evidence from South Korea," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 644-662.
    16. Ziliang Deng & Jiayan Yan & Pei Sun, 2020. "Political Status and Tax Haven Investment of Emerging Market Firms: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 469-488, September.
    17. Nor Shaipah Abdul Wahab, 2016. "Malaysian multinational companies (MNC): Permanent and temporary nature of tax planning," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1248644-124, December.
    18. Richard Phillips & Hannah Petersen & Ronen Palan, 2021. "Group subsidiaries, tax minimization and offshore financial centres: Mapping organizational structures to establish the ‘in-betweener’ advantage," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(2), pages 286-307, June.
    19. Ali Ahmed & Chris Jones & Yama Temouri, . "The relationship between MNE tax haven use and FDI into developing economies characterized by capital flight," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    20. Jones, Chris & Temouri, Yama & Kirollos, Karim & Du, Jun, 2023. "Tax havens and emerging market multinationals: The role of property rights protection and economic freedom," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).

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