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

Author

Listed:
  • 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 intra-industry 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.

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  • Kun Jiang & Wolfgang Keller & Larry D. Qiu & William Ridley, 2018. "International Joint Ventures and Internal Technology Transfer vs. External Technology Spillovers: Evidence from China," NBER Working Papers 24455, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24455
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    2. 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.
    3. Mandelman, Federico S. & Waddle, Andrea, 2020. "Intellectual property, tariffs, and international trade dynamics," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 86-103.
    4. Peter Eppinger & Hong Ma, 2023. "Optimal Ownership and Firm Performance: An Analysis of China’s FDI Liberalization," CESifo Working Paper Series 10551, CESifo.
    5. Bofinger, Peter & Geißendörfer, Lisa & Haas, Thomas & Mayer, Fabian, 2023. "Credit as an instrument for growth: A monetary explanation of the Chinese growth story," W.E.P. - Würzburg Economic Papers 107, University of Würzburg, Department of Economics.
    6. Robin Kaiji Gong, 2019. "The Local Technology Spillovers of Multinational Firms," HKUST CEP Working Papers Series 201902, HKUST Center for Economic Policy.
    7. 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.
    8. Hu, Tiancheng, 2023. "Foreign ownership in joint ventures under knowledge leakage risks: The influence of industrial munificence and dynamism," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    9. Assaf Razin, 2018. "High Tech and Venture Capital Inflows: The case of Israel," NBER Working Papers 25351, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. Bircan, Çağatay, 2019. "Ownership Structure and Productivity of Multinationals," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 125-143.
    13. Bown, Chad, 2019. "The 2018 US-China Trade Conflict After 40 Years of Special Protection," CEPR Discussion Papers 13695, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    16. Amza Mounchili Youwa & Henri Ngoa Tabi, 2022. "Does Multinationals Entry Mode Affect Local Firms’ Export Behaviours? Evidence from Cameroon," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 6(8), pages 413-423, August.
    17. 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.
    18. Gong, Robin Kaiji, 2023. "The local technology spillovers of multinational firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    19. 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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