IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/emeeco/v15y2023i2p234-253.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment and Innovation in Host Countries: Evidence from Countries Along the Belt and Road

Author

Listed:
  • Yanyan Sun
  • Sha Fan

Abstract

Foreign direct investment (FDI) can benefit innovation activity in host countries through spillover channels, such as reverse engineering, demonstration effects, and supplier–customer relationships. Using data from 26 countries along the Belt and Road route (BRCs) and 32 non-BRCs, we identified positive causal effects of the Chinese outward FDI on the innovation capacities in technology-intensive industries of both BRCs and non-BRCs. However, this effect varies depending on the host countries’ economic development levels. The impact of Chinese OFDI on the general innovation performance in host countries is absent. Meanwhile, the implementation of the BRI has on the whole, a negative impact on BRCs’ innovation performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Yanyan Sun & Sha Fan, 2023. "Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment and Innovation in Host Countries: Evidence from Countries Along the Belt and Road," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 15(2), pages 234-253, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:emeeco:v:15:y:2023:i:2:p:234-253
    DOI: 10.1177/09749101231167356
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09749101231167356
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/09749101231167356?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wu, Jie & Ma, Zhenzhong & Zhuo, Shuaihe, 2017. "Enhancing national innovative capacity: The impact of high-tech international trade and inward foreign direct investment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 502-514.
    2. Yasser Abdih & Frederick Joutz, 2006. "Relating the Knowledge Production Function to Total Factor Productivity: An Endogenous Growth Puzzle," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 53(2), pages 1-3.
    3. Crescenzi, Riccardo & Gagliardi, Luisa & Iammarino, Simona, 2015. "Foreign multinationals and domestic innovation: Intra-industry effects and firm heterogeneity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 596-609.
    4. John C. Driscoll & Aart C. Kraay, 1998. "Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimation With Spatially Dependent Panel Data," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(4), pages 549-560, November.
    5. Shao, Xu, 2020. "Chinese OFDI responses to the B&R initiative: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    6. Lloyd, P. J. & MacLaren, D., 2002. "Measures of trade openness using CGE analysis," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 67-81, March.
    7. Hsu, Po-Hsuan & Tian, Xuan & Xu, Yan, 2014. "Financial development and innovation: Cross-country evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 116-135.
    8. Daniel Hoechle, 2007. "Robust standard errors for panel regressions with cross-sectional dependence," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 7(3), pages 281-312, September.
    9. Samina Sabir & Anum Rafique & Kamran Abbas, 2019. "Institutions and FDI: evidence from developed and developing countries," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 5(1), pages 1-20, December.
    10. Alberto Abadie, 2005. "Semiparametric Difference-in-Differences Estimators," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 72(1), pages 1-19.
    11. Furman, Jeffrey L. & Hayes, Richard, 2004. "Catching up or standing still?: National innovative productivity among 'follower' countries, 1978-1999," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1329-1354, November.
    12. Blalock, Garrick & Gertler, Paul J., 2008. "Welfare gains from Foreign Direct Investment through technology transfer to local suppliers," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 402-421, March.
    13. Philippe Aghion & Christopher Harris & Peter Howitt & John Vickers, 2001. "Competition, Imitation and Growth with Step-by-Step Innovation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 68(3), pages 467-492.
    14. Cheung Kui-yin & Lin, Ping, 2004. "Spillover effects of FDI on innovation in China: Evidence from the provincial data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 25-44.
    15. García, Francisco & Jin, Byungchae & Salomon, Robert, 2013. "Does inward foreign direct investment improve the innovative performance of local firms?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 231-244.
    16. Anderson, T. W. & Hsiao, Cheng, 1982. "Formulation and estimation of dynamic models using panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 47-82, January.
    17. Justin Yifu Lin, 2011. "New Structural Economics: A Framework for Rethinking Development," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 26(2), pages 193-221, August.
    18. Xiaowen Tian, 2007. "Accounting for sources of FDI technology spillovers: evidence from China," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(1), pages 147-159, January.
    19. Yan Wu & Chunlai Chen & Cong Hu, 2021. "Does the Belt and Road Initiative Increase the Carbon Emission Intensity of Participating Countries?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 29(3), pages 1-25, May.
    20. Alberto Abadie & David Drukker & Jane Leber Herr & Guido W. Imbens, 2004. "Implementing matching estimators for average treatment effects in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 4(3), pages 290-311, September.
    21. Fulvio Castellacci, 2011. "Closing the Technology Gap?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(1), pages 180-197, February.
    22. Wang, Cassandra C. & Wu, Aiqi, 2016. "Geographical FDI knowledge spillover and innovation of indigenous firms in China," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 895-906.
    23. Furman, Jeffrey L. & Porter, Michael E. & Stern, Scott, 2002. "The determinants of national innovative capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 899-933, August.
    24. Xiaolan Fu, 2008. "Foreign Direct Investment, Absorptive Capacity and Regional Innovation Capabilities: Evidence from China," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 89-110.
    25. Yan Wu & Chunlai Chen, 2021. "The Impact of China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment on Trade Intensity with Belt and Road Countries," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(6), pages 1773-1792, May.
    26. Zhang, Lin, 2017. "The knowledge spillover effects of FDI on the productivity and efficiency of research activities in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1-14.
    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. Raihan, Asif & Ibrahim, Said & Ridwan, Mohammad & Rahman, Md. Shoaibur & Bari, A.B.M. Mainul & Guneysu Atasoy, Filiz, 2025. "Role of renewable energy and foreign direct investment toward economic growth in Egypt," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 4(1).

    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. AM.Priyangani Adikari & Haiyun Liu & MMSA. Marasinghe, 2021. "Inward Foreign Direct Investment-Induced Technological Innovation in Sri Lanka? Empirical Evidence Using ARDL Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-16, June.
    2. Haiwei Jiang & Yousha Liang & Shiyuan Pan, 2022. "Foreign direct investment and regional innovation: Evidence from China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(6), pages 1876-1909, June.
    3. Chen, Yongmin & Jiang, Haiwei & Liang, Yousha & Pan, Shiyuan, 2022. "The impact of foreign direct investment on innovation: Evidence from patent filings and citations in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 917-945.
    4. Vujanović, Nina & Radošević, Slavo & Stojčić, Nebojša & Hisarciklilar, Mehtap & Hashi, Iraj, 2022. "FDI spillover effects on innovation activities of knowledge using and knowledge creating firms: Evidence from an emerging economy," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Wu, Jie & Zahoor, Nadia & Khan, Zaheer & Meyer, Martin, 2023. "The effects of inward FDI communities on the research and development intensity of emerging market locally domiciled firms: Partial foreign ownership as a contingency," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    6. Benzaim, Samia & Ftiti, Zied & Khedhaouria, Anis & Djermane, Rebai, 2023. "US foreign investments: Technology transfer, relative backwardness, and the productivity growth of host countries," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 275-295.
    7. Ning, Lutao & Wang, Fan & Li, Jian, 2016. "Urban innovation, regional externalities of foreign direct investment and industrial agglomeration: Evidence from Chinese cities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 830-843.
    8. Shusen Qi & Kent Ngan‐Cheung Hui & Steven Ongena, 2023. "Inter‐industry FDI spillovers from foreign banks: Evidence in transition economies," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 52(1), pages 97-126, March.
    9. Yi Zhang, 2019. "Institutions, Firm Characteristics, and FDI Spillovers," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(5), pages 1109-1136, April.
    10. Kumar, Sanjesh & Singh, Baljeet, 2019. "Barriers to the international diffusion of technological innovations," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 74-86.
    11. Rui Guo & Lutao Ning & Kaihua Chen, 2022. "How do human capital and R&D structure facilitate FDI knowledge spillovers to local firm innovation? a panel threshold approach," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1921-1947, December.
    12. Wen Yue, 2022. "Foreign direct investment and the innovation performance of local enterprises," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    13. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2020. "Comparative Advantage Following (CAF) development strategy, Aid for Trade flows and structural change in production," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-29, December.
    14. Yipeng Zhang, 2023. "The Sustainability of Regional Innovation in China: Insights from Regional Innovation Values and Their Spatial Distribution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-42, June.
    15. Abdin, Joynal & Sharma, Abhijit & Trivedi, Rohit & Wang, Chengang, 2024. "Financing constraints, intellectual property rights protection and incremental innovation: Evidence from transition economy firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    16. Rosanna Pittiglio & Filippo Reganati & Edgardo Sica, 2015. "Do Multinational Enterprises Push up the Wages of Domestic Firms in the Italian Manufacturing Sector?," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(3), pages 346-378, June.
    17. Ren, Xiaohang & An, Yaning & He, Feng & Goodell, John W., 2024. "Do FDI inflows bring both capital and CO2 emissions? Evidence from non-parametric modelling for the G7 countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    18. Henri Njangang & Simplice A. Asongu & Sosson Tadadjeu & Yann Nounamo, 2021. "Is financial development shaping or shaking economic sophistication in African countries?," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/018, African Governance and Development Institute..
    19. Özcan Karahan, 2016. "Technology Spillover from Foreign Direct Investment in Turkey," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 9(3), pages 7-12, December.
    20. Chen, Zhigang & Lv, Bingyang & Liu, Yongzheng, 2019. "Financial development and the composition of government expenditure: Theory and cross-country evidence," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 600-611.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:sae:emeeco:v:15:y:2023:i:2:p:234-253. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.emergingmarketsforum.org/ .

    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.