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Negative investment in China: financing constraints and restructuring versus growth

Author

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  • Sai Ding
  • Alessandra Guariglia
  • John Knight

Abstract

This paper addresses a puzzle in China’s investment pattern: despite high aggregate investment and remarkable economic growth, negative investment is commonly found at the microeconomic level. Using a large firm-level dataset, we show that private firms divest in order to raise capital. We also find that, owing to over-investment and mis-investment in the past, state-owned firms have had to restructure by getting rid of obsolete capital in the face of increasing competition and hardening budget constraints. Finally, rapid economic growth counterweighs both effects for all types of firms, with a larger impact in the private and foreign sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Sai Ding & Alessandra Guariglia & John Knight, 2012. "Negative investment in China: financing constraints and restructuring versus growth," Discussion Papers 12/01, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    • Handle: RePEc:not:notgep:12/01
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    Cited by:

    1. Sai Ding & Puyang Sun & Wei Jiang, 2019. "The Effect of Foreign Entry Regulation on Downstream Productivity: Microeconomic Evidence from China," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(3), pages 925-959, July.
    2. Natasha Agarwal & Chris Milner & Alejandro Riaño, 2011. "Credit Constraints and FDI Spillovers in China," Discussion Papers 11/21, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    3. Sai Ding & Alessandra Guariglia & Richard Harris, 2016. "The determinants of productivity in Chinese large and medium-sized industrial firms, 1998–2007," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 131-155, April.
    4. Paul Mizen & Serafeim Tsoukas, 2014. "What promotes greater use of the corporate bond market? A study of the issuance behaviour of firms in Asia," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 66(1), pages 227-253, January.
    5. Sai Ding & John Knight & Xiao Zhang, 2019. "Does China overinvest? Evidence from a panel of Chinese firms," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(6), pages 489-507, April.
    6. Sai Ding & Puyang Sun & Wei Jiang, 2016. "The Effect of Import Competition on Firm Productivity and Innovation: Does the Distance to Technology Frontier Matter?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 78(2), pages 197-227, April.
    7. Minjia Chen & Alessandra Guariglia, 2011. "Financial constraints and firm productivity in China: do liquidity and export behavior make a difference?," Discussion Papers 11/09, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    8. Vorada Limjaroenrat, 2016. "Firm-level Perspective of Thailand's Low Investment Puzzle," PIER Discussion Papers 42., Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research, revised Aug 2016.
    9. Aron Berg & Pehr-Johan Norbäck & Lars Persson, 2017. "Cross-border mergers & acquisitions with financially constrained owners," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 153(3), pages 433-456, August.
    10. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13772 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Vorada Limjaroenrat, 2016. "Firm-level Perspective of Thailand's Low Investment Puzzle," PIER Discussion Papers 42, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Negative investment; Financial constraints; Industrial restructuring; Economic transition; China; firm-level data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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