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Location Determinants of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment

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  • Shujie Yao
  • Fan Zhang
  • Pan Wang
  • Dan Luo

Abstract

Compared to inward foreign direct investment, outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) from China is a relatively new phenomenon. However, the volume of China's OFDI increased rapidly from 2004. There has been an increasing amount of literature on the motivations of China's OFDI, but few studies have focused on its location determinants. The present paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by focusing on two important location factors, natural resources and technology, which are the most important determinants of China's OFDI. We use a large panel dataset comprising 132 countries over the period 1991–2009 and the Tobit as well as the Heckman models to establish the relationship between the two location factors and China's OFDI. The empirical results suggest that although China's OFDI has been driven by the country's desire for a secure supply of natural resources and to attain advanced technology from the developed world, China's technology is also a critical attraction for the host developing economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Shujie Yao & Fan Zhang & Pan Wang & Dan Luo, 2017. "Location Determinants of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 25(6), pages 1-27, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:chinae:v:25:y:2017:i:6:p:1-27
    DOI: 10.1111/cwe.12218
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    2. Prajukta Tripathy & Pragyanrani Behera & Bikash Ranjan Mishra, 2023. "Study of linkages between productivity, export, and outward foreign direct investment: An empirical perspective of Indian manufacturing industries," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 1527-1548, April.
    3. Xing Shi & Yujie Zeng & Yanrui Wu & Shuai Wang, 2023. "Outward Foreign Direct Investment and Green Innovation in Chinese Multinational Companies," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 23-05, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
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    5. 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.
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    8. Chunlai Chen, 2018. "Impact of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment on Its Regional Economic Growth," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(3), pages 1-21, May.

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