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How does the productivity of foreign direct investment spill over to local firms in Chinese manufacturing?

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  • Adam Blake
  • Ziliang Deng
  • Rod Falvey

Abstract

We use a firm-level dataset for Chinese manufacturing, to estimate productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment (FDI) to local firms. The spillover channels considered include inter-firm labour turnover/mobility; vertical input-output linkages; exporting externalities; and horizontal effects. The roles of these channels are dependent on various factors including export propensity, R&D expenditure per capita, employee training, and ownership structure. We find that export of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is the most prominent spillover channel. Labour turnover and horizontal demonstration and competition bring positive spillovers to SOEs but not to local private firms. Vertical linkages are not found to be significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Blake & Ziliang Deng & Rod Falvey, 2009. "How does the productivity of foreign direct investment spill over to local firms in Chinese manufacturing?," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 183-197.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jocebs:v:7:y:2009:i:2:p:183-197
    DOI: 10.1080/14765280902847676
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    2. Neil Foster-McGregor, 2012. "Innovation and Technology Transfer across Countries," wiiw Research Reports 380, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    3. Noor Aini Khalifah & Salmah Mohd Salleh & Radziah Adam, 2015. "FDI productivity spillovers and the technology gap in Malaysia's electrical and electronic industries," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 29(1), pages 142-160, May.
    4. Danai Christopoulou & Nikolaos Papageorgiadis & Chengang Wang & Georgios Magkonis, 2021. "IPR Law Protection and Enforcement and the Effect on Horizontal Productivity Spillovers from Inward FDI to Domestic Firms: A Meta-analysis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 235-266, April.
    5. Fan, Hongzhong & He, Shi & Kwan, Yum K., 2022. "FDI forward spillover effects in emerging markets: A comparative meta-analysis of China and Eastern Europe," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(3).
    6. Iršová, Zuzana & Havránek, Tomáš, 2013. "Determinants of Horizontal Spillovers from FDI: Evidence from a Large Meta-Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1-15.
    7. Xiaohui Yuan & Jiayan Yan, 2022. "Reverse Efficiency Spillovers from Host Country Banks to Foreign Banks: Evidence from Emerging Market Bank Subsidiaries in Developed Markets," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 62(6), pages 915-946, December.
    8. Ma, Xufei & Ding, Zhujun & Yuan, Lin, 2016. "Subnational institutions, political capital, and the internationalization of entrepreneurial firms in emerging economies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(5), pages 843-854.
    9. Hongzhong Fan & Shi He & Yum K. Kwan, 2020. "FDI Backward Spillovers in China: What a Meta-Analysis Tells Us?," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(1), pages 86-105, January.
    10. Ziliang Deng & Honglin Guo & Guilan Kong, 2011. "Efficiency Spillovers of Foreign Direct Investment in the Chinese Banking System," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 179-191.
    11. Taotao Chen & Ari Kokko & Patrik Gustavsson Tingvall, 2011. "FDI and spillovers in China: non-linearity and absorptive capacity," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 1-22.
    12. Deng, Ziliang & Falvey, Rod & Blake, Adam, 2012. "Trading market access for technology? Tax incentives, foreign direct investment and productivity spillovers in China," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 675-690.
    13. Tomáš Havránek & Zuzana Iršová, 2011. "How to Stir Up FDI Spillovers: Evidence from a Large Meta-Analysis," Working Papers IES 2011/34, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised Oct 2011.
    14. Wenxin Guo & Joseph A. Clougherty, 2022. "Cross-border acquisition activity by Chinese multinationals and domestic-productivity upgrading," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 659-695, June.
    15. Natasha Agarwal & Chris Milner, 2011. "FDI Spillovers in China – Connecting the Missing Link between Micro and Macro," Discussion Papers 11/20, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    16. Ziliang Deng & Rod Falvey & Adam Blake, 2013. "Quantifying Foreign Direct Investment Productivity Spillovers in China: A Computable General Equilibrium Model," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 27(4), pages 369-389, December.
    17. Tomas Havranek & Zuzana Irsova, 2012. "Survey Article: Publication Bias in the Literature on Foreign Direct Investment Spillovers," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(10), pages 1375-1396, October.
    18. Ziliang Deng & Adam Blake & Rod Falvey, 2009. "Quantifying Foreign Direct Investment Productivity Spillovers: A Computable General Equilibrium Framework for China," Discussion Papers 09/18, University of Nottingham, GEP.

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