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International Joint Ventures and Internal vs. External Technology Transfer: Evidence from China

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  • Kun Jiang
  • Wolfgang Keller
  • Larry D. Qiu
  • William Ridley

Abstract

We study the economics of international joint ventures using administrative data for China. We first show that foreign investors choose Chinese partners that are relatively large, productive, and more innovative to set up their joint venture. Using a difference-in-differences framework and accounting for these selection effects, we then provide evidence that joint ventures lead to domestic benefits in the form of productivity and technological spillovers to both the Chinese partners in joint ventures as well as other domestic Chinese firms. Exploiting the easing of joint venture requirements as China entered the WTO in the year 2001, we further show that spillovers from joint ventures to other domestic firms increased in the wake of China’s WTO accession, consistent with gains from foreign technology rising due to enhanced commitment through the rules-based WTO system. Our results shed new light on the efficacy of FDI performance requirements as well as on claims regarding international technology transfer that underpinned the China-US trade war.

Suggested Citation

  • Kun Jiang & Wolfgang Keller & Larry D. Qiu & William Ridley, 2018. "International Joint Ventures and Internal vs. External Technology Transfer: Evidence from China," NBER Working Papers 24455, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24455
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    Cited by:

    1. K. Buysse & D. Essers, 2019. "Cheating tiger, tech-savvy dragon : Are Western concerns about “unfair trade” and “Made in China 2025” justified ?," Economic Review, National Bank of Belgium, issue ii, pages 47-70, September.
    2. Mandelman, Federico S. & Waddle, Andrea, 2020. "Intellectual property, tariffs, and international trade dynamics," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 86-103.
    3. Robin Kaiji Gong, 2019. "The Local Technology Spillovers of Multinational Firms," HKUST CEP Working Papers Series 201902, HKUST Center for Economic Policy.
    4. Mark S Mygrant, 2020. "Keeping profits at home: A study of firm ownership and the geographical concentration of capital gains in the United States," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(5), pages 460-481, August.
    5. Sourafel Girma & Holger Görg & Erasmus Kersting, 2019. "Which boats are lifted by a foreign tide? Direct and indirect wage effects of foreign ownership," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(6), pages 923-947, August.
    6. Farok J Contractor, 2019. "Can a firm find the balance between openness and secrecy? Towards a theory of an optimum level of disclosure," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(2), pages 261-274, March.
    7. Bircan, Çağatay, 2019. "Ownership Structure and Productivity of Multinationals," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 125-143.
    8. Keller, Wolfgang, 2020. "Comments on Mandelman and Waddle's “Intellectual property, tariffs, and international trade dynamics”," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 104-106.
    9. Bown, Chad P., 2019. "The 2018 US-China Trade Conflict After 40 Years of Special Protection," CEPR Discussion Papers 13695, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Lin, Yatang & Qin, Yu & Xie, Zhuan, 2021. "Does foreign technology transfer spur domestic innovation? Evidence from the high-speed rail sector in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 212-229.
    11. Davide Rigo, 2021. "Global value chains and technology transfer: new evidence from developing countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 157(2), pages 271-294, May.
    12. Li, Chengzheng & Cong, Jiajia & Yin, Lijuan, 2021. "Extreme heat and exports: Evidence from Chinese exporters," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    13. Assaf Razin, 2018. "High Tech and Venture Capital Inflows: The case of Israel," NBER Working Papers 25351, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Vrolijk, Kasper, 2022. "Economic effects of FDI: How important is rising market concentration?," IDOS Policy Briefs 12/2022, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Bonn.
    15. Hovhannisyan, Nune & Keller, Wolfgang, 2019. "International Business Travel and Technology Sourcing," CEPR Discussion Papers 13739, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    16. Zi Wang & Yanling Zhou, 2021. "Who starts the trade war? A theory of export controls and quid pro quo," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(10), pages 2950-2965, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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