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Is Foreign Aid a Vanguard of Foreign Direct Investment? A Gravity-Equation Approach

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  • Hidemi Kimura
  • Yasuyuki Todo

Abstract

This paper investigates whether and how foreign aid facilitates foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into less developed countries. We employ a large data set of source-recipient country pairs and conduct gravity equation-type estimation. Our empirical methodology enables us to examine an effect through which aid from a donor country promotes FDI from the same donor in particular, which we call a ‘vanguard effect.’ We find that foreign aid in general does not have any significant effect on FDI. However, when we allow for differences in the size of aid effects across donor countries, we find robust evidence that foreign aid from Japan in particular has a vanguard effect, that is, Japanese aid promotes FDI from Japan but does not attract FDI from other countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Hidemi Kimura & Yasuyuki Todo, 2009. "Is Foreign Aid a Vanguard of Foreign Direct Investment? A Gravity-Equation Approach," Asia Pacific Economic Papers 380, Australia-Japan Research Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    • Handle: RePEc:csg:ajrcau:380
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid

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