Comparative Analysis of the Determinants of China's State-owned Outward Direct Investment in OECD and Non-OECD Countries

Chinese outward direct investment （ODI） is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The present study augments the understanding of the determinants and drivers of Chinese ODI. It reviews the literature on Chinese 0191 and analyzes investment by state-owned enterprises （SOE） for the period 2003-2008, focusing specifically on the differences between the determinants of Chinese investment in developed （OECD） and developing （non-OECD） economies. In addition, the study assesses the appropriateness of the general framework used for investigating ODI determinants （Dunning＇s eclectic paradigm） to analyze the experience of Chinese SOE. The findings indicate that Dunning＇s eclectic paradigm provides an excellent theoretical framework for analyzing the determinants of Chinese SOE investment in developed countries, and provides a good starting point for analysis of Chinese investment in developing countries. However, Dunning＇s specification requires refinement for developing countries. This paper finds a distinct difference between the motivations for Chinese SOE investment in developed and developing countries.

Impact of China’s outward foreign direct investment on environmental pollution in the home country

In the context of economic globalization and increasingly tight resource and environmental constraints,the environmental effect of open economy has been highly concerned by the academic community.With the implementation of the“Going Global”campaign and the“Belt and Road Initiative”,China’s OFDI has been expanding.What is the impact of the rapid growth of OFDI on the home environment?How can China improve the quality and level of OFDI in order to promote domestic green development under the dual context of constructing a new dual circulation development pattern and advocating green development?These questions deserve further discussion.Most of the existing literature focuses on the empirical interpretation of OFDI’s home country environmental effect by using linear models,while few involve nonlinear models.The literature on the important role of financial development in home country and the threshold effect of OFDI on home country environment is even less common.In view of this,based on the mechanism of argumentation and propositional inference,this paper calculated the environmental pollution index of 30 provinces in China from 2003 to 2017 by using China’s provincial panel data of these years and selecting industrial waste water,industrial waste gas,industrial SO_(2),and industrial soot emissions and industrial solid waste production amount index.Then,this paper empirically studied China's OFDI home environment of financial development threshold effect by constructing financial development as the threshold variables panel threshold model.The results showed that:①China’s OFDI had a significant impact on the environment of the home country,based on the level of financial development of the home country.When China’s financial development level was lower than the first threshold value,China’s OFDI had a significant restraining effect on environmental pollution in the home country.When China’s financial development level crossed the first threshold value but did not exceed the second threshold value,China’s OFDI significantly enhanced its inhibiting effect on environmental pollution in its home country.When China’s financial development level was higher than the second threshold value,the inhibiting effect of China’s OFDI on environmental pollution in the home country was further enhanced.②In the sample period,the financial development level of most provinces in China was not high.Only a few provinces with high financial development level had a strong inhibiting effect on environmental pollution in their home country,and the provinces with a high degree of coupling and coordination between OFDI and financial development tended to have a low level of environmental pollution.Accordingly,this paper proposes to optimize the financial service environment of OFDI,improve the green technology content of OFDI,and strengthen the original innovation and re-innovation ability of green technology.

Environmental regulation,hidden economy,and China's outward foreign direct investment

The need to balance economic growth and its environmental impact continues to be a serious issue in China.As environmental regulation in China increases in importance,it is critical to understand how it impacts economic growth drivers such as outward foreign direct investment(OFDI)to formulate effective policies.One consideration should be the hidden economy,which can weaken the effects of environmental regulation on OFDI.This study investigates the scale of the hidden economy in 30 provinces and province-level municipalities in China in the period 2004 to 2015.The study uses the multiple indicators and multiple causes(MIMIC)model and the systematic generalized method of moments(GMM)test to analyze the impact of environmental regulation and the hidden economy on China's OFDI.The results show that stronger environmental regulation promotes OFDI.However,the hidden economy inhibits China's OFDI,as the positive effects of environmental regulation that drive OFDI are distorted.From a regional perspective,stronger environmental regulation promotes OFDI as well,while the hidden economy inhibits it.The interaction between environmental regulation and the hidden economy also inhibits it significantly.

China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Developing Countries

The implementation of China’s open development strategy has unveiled a wave of outward foreign direct investment(OFDI)by Chinese companies,with global implications.Based on panel data from 146 developing countries from 2003 to 2017,we investigate the growth effects of China’s OFDI.We find that China’s OFDI has promoted significant economic growth in developing countries.Not only could China’s OFDI increase GDP per capita of a country in a short time but raise the country’s long-run equilibrium value as well.In addition,the growth effects of China’s OFDI were more significant for countries with weak governance,rich resource,and modest human capital,and were above the average level for Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)countries,African countries,and in the post-crisis era.Our research helps unravel the global significance of Chinese companies investing overseas and contributes to research on the growth effects of direct investment between developing countries.

An Empirical Study on the Relationship Between the Scale of International Students from ASEAN and China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment

With the further development of economic globalization since the establishment of ties between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) 30 years ago and the continuous increase in the scale of international students in China,the training of international talents has become an important approach to avoiding the risks of transnational investments.We established panel data by selecting variables from the period 2006 to 2017,including the scale of international students coming from ASEAN to China,the gross amount of China’s outward foreign direct investment(OFDI),and the GDP per capita of ASEAN countries to further explore the correlations among these variables.We applied a panel-vector autoregressive(PVAR) model to conducting a Granger causality test,a Gaussian mixture model(GMM) regression analysis,a Monte Carlo-based impulse response analysis,and variance decomposition of the data.The results show that the growth of OFDI exerted an obvious positive impact on the inflow of international students from the countries along the Belt and Road(B&R) within a short period,the growth of the scale of international students coming from these countries to study in China had a strong positive effect on OFDI,the training of international talents was conducive to promoting the scale of transnational investments,but the overall quality was not very high,and its economic contribution rate was low.It is also found that OFDI and the scale of international students from the countries along the B&R promoted the GDP growth to a certain extent and the positive accumulation effect fluctuated due to external factors.Therefore,it is suggested to expanding the scale of OFDI and improving China’s core competitiveness in international student education.Intensive management of investment factors should also be conducted along with sound development of training mechanisms for international talents.

Effects of investment on energy intensity:evidence from China

This article explores the effects of investment upon energy intensity by applying a unique panel data of China's 27 provinces between 2004 and 2013.In addition,it also particularly stuthes other factors,such as energy price,economic structure,and urbanization.The results,based on four econometric regression model results,suggest that in general,the indigenous investment on research and development is a more powerful tool to decrease China's energy intensity regardless of region disparity.The foreign direct investment(FDI) has a prominent but not persistent effect on energy intensity.However,the outward direct investment has not shown its significant impact on energy intensity.At the level of an aggregate economy and China's eastern region,the results demonstrate that FDI improves energy efficiency significantly.For the central and western provinces,FDI does not support the similar conclusion.Based on these analyses,we present the corresponding regional policies for policymakers.

China’s Investment Contributes to Stability in Host Countries

As intra-national conflicts replace international wars to be the dominant form of collective political violence,the international dimension of domestic conflict has prompted reflections on the effects of globalization and multinational corporations represented by international investment.Theoretically,international investment may trigger or defuse conflicts.Although China is the world’s second largest source of outward foreign direct investment(OFDI),there has been limited empirical literature on how China’s OFDI has influenced domestic conflict in host countries.Based on the OFDI data of 115 developing countries from 2004 to 2016,this paper offers an empirical study on the effects of China’s OFDI on the eruption of domestic conflict in host countries and the underlying mechanisms.Results suggest that China’s OFDI in developing countries has made domestic conflict significantly less likely to erupt in those countries primarily by reducing the unemployment rate.These findings reflect the contribution of China’s investment to the internal stability of host countries.However,problems in the overseas operations of Chinese companies cannot be overlooked.

Media Inclination and Outward Foreign Direct Investment:Evidence from Chinese Firms

Media inclinations,whether favorable or biased,play a pivotal role in shaping public opinion.Sometimes,media coverage may unintentionally foster skepticism towards foreign firms,which could create challenges for those companies when they enter new markets.Based on a panel dataset from 2005 to 2020,this is one of the first studies to investigate empirically the impact of media opinion on outward foreign direct investment(OFDI)behaviors at the firm level.The media inclination index was constructed according to the varying inclinations of media from different countries in their reporting on each event.We examined the impact of media inclination on the investment value,frequency,and number of industries.This study has revealed the following insights:(i)Positive media coverage can stimulate the investment behavior of Chinese firms.(ii)The heterogeneity analysis indicates that the promotional effect of media reporting inclination on OFDI is more significant for state-owned firms from the investor's perspective and especially pronounced for firms in developing countries from the investee's perspective.(iii)Diplomatic visits and scientific research cooperation can amplify the positive impact of media opinions on the OFDI behaviors of Chinese firms.

Exporting National Champions:China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment Finance in Comparative Perspective

We examine the extent to which Chinese development banks have financed the globalization of China＇s ＂national champion ＂firms： specifically, through outward foreign direct investment （OFDI）. We create a database of Chinese fnance for OFDI and compare our results to the existing literature and available data on Japan, Korea and other Asian nations. We estimate the total value of China＇s OFDI finance from 2002 to 2012 at US$14Obn. As a percentage of total OFDI, China＇s lending is roughly three times higher than Japan ＇s, the previous global leader in OFDl finance. We identify two major reasons for China＇s high （31 percent） ratio of OFDl lending to total OFDI. First, China has a greater incentive to give OFDI loans than Japan or Korea ever did because its borrowers are statelowned so it can more easily channel funds to targeted areas. Second, China has a greater capacity to give OFDI loans because it has significantly higher savings and foreign exchange reserves than Japan and Korea.

Remedy or Poison： Impacts of China＇s Outward Direct Investment on Its Exports

During the past decade, China＇s outward direct investment （ODI） and exports have experienced rapid growth, drawing increasing attention to the relationship between them. Using the gravity model based on panel data on China ＇s ODI and trade to 174 countries and regions during 2003-2012, the present paper investigates the impacts of China＇s ODI on exports. We find that China＇s ODI to a host country significantly promotes China＇s trade with that economy： a lO-percent increase in ODI stock can lead to a 2.14-percent increase in exports, a 2.07-percent increase in imports and a 2.87-percent increase in net exports. The scale of the host country＇s economy, its infrastructure and its distance to China also have significant impacts on China＇s exports. Therefore, growth in ODI will facilitate China＇s trade and integration into the global economy, and enhance industrial upgrading in China by transferring the low-end industries abroad.

Impact of China＇s Outward Foreign Direct Investment on Its Regional Economic Growth

This paper investigates the impact of China＇s outward foreign direct investment （OFDI） on its economic growth. By using a provincial-level panel dataset and applying fixed- effects and instrumental variable regression techniques, the study finds that both OFDI from provincial firms and OFDI from state-owned enterprises have a positive impact on China＇s provincial economic growth. The positive impact of OFDI on provincial economic growth may be the result of reverse knowledge spillovers from OFDI to the home provincial economy through demonstration and imitation, labor movement, and backward and forward industrial linkages, thus increasing the productivity and the efficiency of home firms and promoting the growth of the home economy.

Does Outward Foreign Direct Investment Facilitate China’s Export Upgrading?

This paper empirically investigates the impact of China’s outward foreign direct investment(OFDI)on its export sophistication.Using a provincial-level panel dataset and applying fixed effects and instrumental variable regression techniques,the study finds that,on average,OFDI has no significant impact on China s export sophistication.However,after the full sample is divided into different regions,the study finds that OFDI has a positive and significant impact on export sophistication in the developed coastal region,but no such impact is observed in the less developed inland regions.Further investigation using a panel threshold model reveals that only when GDP,per capita GDP,human capital,and the research and development intensity of a home economy reach a certain level can OFDI promote export sophistication.The findings suggest that accelerating economic development and increasing absorptive capacity can facilitate the contribution of OFDI to China’s export sophistication.

Determinants of China’s outward foreign direct investment in Asia:a panel data analysis

This paper is an attempt to examine the trends and significant determinants of China’s outward foreign direct investment(OFDI)in Asia.In order to find out the important determinants of China’s OFDI in Asia,this study applies the panel data regression technique.The time period from 2006 to 2015 is taken into consideration.Econometric analysis has been done based on three data sets:the first includes 27 Asian countries/regions which attract Chinese OFDI.While Chinese Hong Kong is excluded from the sample,the second data set consists of 26 countries the same as those in data set one.The third data set comprises China’s top 12 destination countries of OFDI in Asia.The findings show that China’s OFDI has risen rapidly and secured the second rank globally,only behind the United States and surpassing Japan.For the first time,the flow of Chinese OFDI exceeded the level of inward foreign direct investment(IFDI),and Asia attracted a 74.4%share out of China’s total OFDI in 2015.The results reveal that inflation rate,export,import,corruption,infrastructure and geographic distance are the significant determinants of China’s investment in Asia.This paper provides new evidence on the determinants of China’s OFDI in Asia.By using currently available data of 27 Asian host countries,this paper offers a new insight into significant determinants of China’s OFDI in the region.

Financing Constraints and the Mode of Outward Foreign Direct Investment:Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions or Greenfield Investment

In this paper,two investment modes,greenfield investment and cross-border mergers and acquisitions,are introduced on the basis of Manova(2008),and it is found that enterprises with less financing constraints tend to choose cross-border mergers and acquisitions.Therefore,this paper takes Chinese industrial enterprises that conducted cross-border mergers and acquisitions and greenfield investment in 2003−2010 as examples to test the above hypothesis.The result shows that enterprises with lower financing constraints are more likely to choose cross-border mergers and acquisitions,while those with stronger constraints choose greenfield investment.More specifi cally,a 1%reduction in financing constraints raises the probability of choosing cross-border mergers and acquisitions by 2.51%.The authors also find that the influence of financing constraints varies under different investment motivation.For business service and production-related investment,enterprises with lower financing constraints tend to choose cross-border mergers and acquisitions;while for R&D investment,financing constraints have no impact on the choice of investment mode.

State-owned Enterprises' Outward Investment and the Structural Reform in China

Since China＇s accession to the WTO in 2001, China has been on a steep learning curve in terms of engaging in outward direct investment, and state-owned enterprises （SOEs） have played a predominant role in this drive. We argue that investment overseas by SOEs is a double-edged sword as far as its impact on domestic reform is concerned. Investing overseas offers opportunities to deepen structural reform in China, but such investment could also strengthen the monopoly position of some SOEs, which is inconsistent with the objective of domestic reform. Therefore, it is important for China to deepen domestic reform with respect to competition, ownership and regulations, to maximize the benefits from investing overseas＇. The present paper also discusses how building market-compatible institutions will resuh in increased innovation. This provides opportunities for Chinese firms to effectively catch up with the advanced technologies to remain competitive in overseas markets.

Do China's Outward Direct Investors Prefer Countries with High Political Risk? An International and Empirical Comparison

This paper focuses on a conventional debate regarding whether Chinese outward direct investors tend to invest in countries with high political risk. Using 2003 -2011 data from the World Bank, the Heritage Foundation and the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, we investigate China ＇s political risk distribution and political risk index （PRI）. Our results indicate that China ＂s political risk index was ranked 48th among 153 economies in 2011, in the lower risk level of the PRI spectrum. In an international comparison of political risk distribution, the proportion of Chinese outward direct investment （ODI） among countries with high political risk is less than the world average. The Chinese ODI political risk index has significantly improved and remains lower than the world average. To improve Chinese ODI PRI, the Chinese Government should continue to implement differentiation strategies and to offer official development assistance to improve the investment environment in developing countries and reduce political risk.

Chinese Private Direct Investment and Overseas Chinese Network in Africa

Based on extensive interviews in China and in Africa over 2 years, the present paper investigates Chinese private direct investment in Africa. Drawing on the Swedish Uppsala model, we explore two mian issues. First, do Chinese private enterprises follow the linear mode to invest in Africa？ Second, if not, how do they go out and develop their investments, and who helps them overcome the obstacles to investing in Africa？ We find that very few Chinese private enterprises follow a linear internationalization process, and most depend on the local overseas Chinese network and other networks to facilitate their entry into the host market. The reason lies in that Chinese private enterprises are still at the early stage of internationalization. Entrepreneurship is one of the most important ownership advantages of Chinese private enterprises investing in Africa.

China’s foreign direct investment in BRICS countries:status,problems and prospects

The emerging economies,represented by the BRICS,have risen rapidly in post-crisis era in both economic development and national competitiveness.In order to ensure a stable and sustainable long-term development of national economy,the governments of BRICS countries have shown positive attitude to foreign direct investment.This is a great opportunity for China to increase its direct investment in these countries,which will not only provide strong support to China’s“going global”strategy,but also help avoid risks arising from intensive investment in its traditional investment regions.This article focuses on the status of Chinese outward direct investment in the BRICS countries by analyzing existing problems in investment process and providing forecast as well as future agenda on China’s direct investment in these countries.

Influence of local environmental target constraints on enterprise OFDI

By collecting the environmental target constraints in the annual government work report of prefecture-level cities,this paper studies its impact on local enterprises’OFDI.The main conclusions are as follows:(1)Both direct and indirect constraints have a significant positive impact on enterprises’OFDI,and the degree of direct constraints is stronger than that of indirect constraints.(2)Environmental target constraints of local governments will affect corporate OFDI behavior by affecting production costs,local economic development level and local openness,and(3)There are regional heterogeneity and investment type heterogeneity in the impact of environmental goal constraints on corporate OFDI.The suggestions are as follows:government departments can appropriately strengthen the constraint intensity of environmental targets and formulate specific restraint rules for industries with different levels of pollution,so as to effectively make use of the technology spillover effects brought about by OFDI to promote the upgrading of domestic industrial structure.When making OFDI,enterprises should clarify the investment motivation,strengthen corporate social responsibility,and make use of technology spillover effect to promote the upgrading and development of home country industry while being beneficial to their own development.