IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/snbeco/v3y2023i1d10.1007_s43546-022-00398-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A fresh view of China’s OFDI, its motivations and risks thereto

Author

Listed:
  • M. John Foster

    (Kingston University)

Abstract

The aims of this paper are: to examine the key reasons for the locations of and the reasons for China’s OFDI as it boomed and became a major OFDI player in the global economy; and, to assess the existence and nature of possible risks to such a boom continuing. The core of the paper, in its second section, is a time-indexed review of findings relating to the first theme noted above. The broad conclusions are that: China’s OFDI has been a great success in the period 2005–2019; its motivations have included all the usual possibilities, such as access to resources, market access, access to and reverse engineering of technology (very broadly construed), and access to cheap labour for manufacturing; but, it has also sought to wield political influence via infrastructural investment, and its increasingly hostile attitudes in geopolitical terms in the past decade may pose consequential threats to a continuation of the success to date.

Suggested Citation

  • M. John Foster, 2023. "A fresh view of China’s OFDI, its motivations and risks thereto," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-19, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:snbeco:v:3:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s43546-022-00398-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s43546-022-00398-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43546-022-00398-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43546-022-00398-w?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. Wang, Chengqi & Hong, Junjie & Kafouros, Mario & Boateng, Agyenim, 2012. "What drives outward FDI of Chinese firms? Testing the explanatory power of three theoretical frameworks," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 425-438.
    2. Ficawoyi Donou-Adonsou & Sokchea Lim, 2018. "On the importance of Chinese investment in Africa," Review of Development Finance Journal, Chartered Institute of Development Finance, vol. 8(1), pages 63-73.
    3. Liu, Yuli & Ge, Yuejing & Hu, Zhiding & Wang, Shufang, 2018. "Culture and capital flows—Exploring the spatial differentiation of China's OFDI," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 27-45.
    4. Holger Görg & David Greenaway, 2016. "Much Ado about Nothing? Do Domestic Firms Really Benefit from Foreign Direct Investment?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND HOST COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT Volume 53: World Scientific Studies in International Economics, chapter 9, pages 163-189, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Williamson, Oliver E., 2010. "Transaction Cost Economics: The Natural Progression," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 86(3), pages 215-226.
    6. repec:cup:maorev:v:15:y:2019:i:01:p:81-110_00 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Papageorgiadis, Nikolaos & Xu, Yue & Alexiou, Constantinos, 2019. "The Effect of European Intellectual Property Institutions on Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 81-110, March.
    8. Anderson, John & Sutherland, Dylan, 2015. "Entry mode and emerging market MNEs: An analysis of Chinese greenfield and acquisition FDI in the United States," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 88-103.
    9. Huang, Yuanyuan & Xie, En & Li, Yu & Reddy, K.S., 2017. "Does state ownership facilitate outward FDI of Chinese SOEs? Institutional development, market competition, and the logic of interdependence between governments and SOEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 176-188.
    10. Hao, Yu & Guo, Yunxia & Guo, Yitong & Wu, Haitao & Ren, Siyu, 2020. "Does outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) affect the home country’s environmental quality? The case of China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 109-119.
    11. John Dunning, 2001. "The Eclectic (OLI) Paradigm of International Production: Past, Present and Future," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 173-190.
    12. Child, John & Rodrigues, Suzana B., 2005. "The Internationalization of Chinese Firms: A Case for Theoretical Extension?1," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(3), pages 381-410, November.
    13. Mehmet Demirbag & Ekrem Tatoglu & Keith W. Glaister, 2008. "Factors affecting perceptions of the choice between acquisition and greenfield entry: The case of Western FDI in an emerging market," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 5-38, February.
    14. Yadong Luo & Hongxin Zhao & Yagang Wang & Youmin Xi, 2011. "Venturing Abroad by Emerging Market Enterprises," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 433-459, August.
    15. Peter Buckley, 2019. "China goes global: provenance, projection, performance and policy," International Journal of Emerging Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 14(1), pages 6-23, February.
    16. Raphael Kaplinsky & Mike Morris, 2009. "Chinese FDI in Sub-Saharan Africa: Engaging with Large Dragons," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 21(4), pages 551-569, September.
    17. 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.
    18. Karl P. Sauvant & Victor Zitian Chen, 2014. "China’s regulatory framework for outward foreign direct investment," China Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 141-163, January.
    19. John Child & Suzana B. Rodrigues, 2005. "The Internationalization of Chinese Firms: A Case for Theoretical Extension?," Management and Organization Review, International Association of Chinese Management Research, vol. 1(3), pages 381-410, November.
    20. Lin Cui & Fuming Jiang, 2012. "State ownership effect on firms' FDI ownership decisions under institutional pressure: a study of Chinese outward-investing firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 43(3), pages 264-284, April.
    21. Peter J Buckley & L Jeremy Clegg & Adam R Cross & Xin Liu & Hinrich Voss & Ping Zheng, 2007. "The determinants of Chinese outward foreign direct investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 499-518, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Ilan Alon & John Anderson & Ziaul Haque Munim & Alice Ho, 2018. "A review of the internationalization of Chinese enterprises," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 573-605, September.
    2. Sun, Zhe & Vinig, Tsvi & Hosman, Thomas Daniël, 2017. "The financing of Chinese outbound mergers and acquisitions: Is there a distortion between state-owned enterprises and privately owned enterprises?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(PA), pages 377-388.
    3. Knoerich, Jan & Vitting, Simon, 2021. "The distinct contribution of investment promotion agencies’ branch offices in bringing Chinese multinationals to Europe," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3).
    4. Vukicevic, Jelena & Fallon, Grahame & Ott, Ursula F., 2021. "A theoretical and empirical investigation into investment activities of technologically-intensive Chinese state-owned enterprises in the UK," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    5. Andrei Panibratov & Daria Klishevich, 2023. "Emerging market state-owned multinationals: a review and implications for the state capitalism debate," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 84-117, February.
    6. Hu, Helen Wei & Cui, Lin, 2014. "Outward foreign direct investment of publicly listed firms from China: A corporate governance perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 750-760.
    7. Stoian, Carmen & Mohr, Alex, 2016. "Outward foreign direct investment from emerging economies: escaping home country regulative voids," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 1124-1135.
    8. Valeria, Gattai & Rajssa, Mechelli & Piergiovanna, Natale, 2016. "FDI and Heterogeneous Firms: Evidence from BRIC Countries," Working Papers 322, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised 18 Jan 2016.
    9. Yin, Tong & De Propris, Lisa & Jabbour, Liza, 2021. "Assessing the effects of policies on China’s outward foreign direct investment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).
    10. 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.
    11. Shi, Xing & Zeng, Yujie & Wu, Yanrui & Wang, Shuai, 2023. "Outward foreign direct investment and green innovation in Chinese multinational companies," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(5).
    12. Bin Guo & Gangxiang Xu & Wen Li, 2017. "Seeking legitimacy: Chinese OFDI and domestic isomorphic pressures," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 16(1), pages 1-24, April.
    13. Quer Ramón, Diego & Claver Cortés, Enrique & Rienda García, Laura, 2017. "Chinese multinationals in Spain: Determinants of establishment mode choice," Cuadernos de Gestión, Universidad del País Vasco - Instituto de Economía Aplicada a la Empresa (IEAE).
    14. Wei, Yingqi & Zheng, Nan & Liu, Xiaohui & Lu, Jiangyong, 2014. "Expanding to outward foreign direct investment or not? A multi-dimensional analysis of entry mode transformation of Chinese private exporting firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 356-370.
    15. Cui, Lin & Meyer, Klaus E. & Hu, Helen Wei, 2014. "What drives firms’ intent to seek strategic assets by foreign direct investment? A study of emerging economy firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 488-501.
    16. Grimm Noh & Dongyoub Shin, 2018. "The different influences of the government and politicians on the international expansion of Chinese firms," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(5), pages 366-396, December.
    17. Li, Xue & Anwar, Sajid & Peng, Fei, 2022. "Cross-border acquisitions and the performance of Chinese publicly listed companies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 575-588.
    18. Li, Kun-Sha & Xiong, Yong-Qing, 2022. "Host country’s environmental uncertainty, technological capability, and foreign market entry mode: Evidence from high-end equipment manufacturing MNEs in emerging markets," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1).
    19. Kottaridi, Constantina & Giakoulas, Dimitris & Manolopoulos, Dimitris, 2019. "Escapism FDI from developed economies: The role of regulatory context and corporate taxation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 36-47.
    20. Gammeltoft, Peter & Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro, 2021. "Enriching internationalization process theory: insights from the study of emerging market multinationals," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3).

    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:spr:snbeco:v:3:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s43546-022-00398-w. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.