China Global Investment Tracker: 2010

Report Asia

China Global Investment Tracker: 2010

February 22, 2010 2 min read
Derek
Derek Scissors
Former Senior Research Fellow
Derek is a former Senior Research Fellow.

Click here for the China Global Investment Tracker 2011

Revised and Updated July 7, 2010

China's financial behavior is increasingly important to the United States and the international community. The China Global Investment Tracker created by The Heritage Foundation is the only publicly available, comprehensive dataset of large worldwide Chinese investments and contracts beyond Treasury bonds. Details are available on over 250 attempted transactions -- failed and successful -- over $100 million in all major industries, including energy, mining, transportation and banking.

China's Worldwide Reach

Chinese investment and business contracts now span the globe. More business of these types is now being done in the Western Hemisphere than with China's traditional partners in East Asia.

China's Failed Global Grasp

China's investment total could be higher. Over $100 billion in proposed spending has been rejected by foreign or Chinese regulators or has failed due to mistakes by Chinese firms. However, the number of failed transactions is falling and there are clear signs Chinese firms are learning to be better investors.

Download the dataset on large Chinese foreign investments: China Global Investment Tracker


For more information on the growing Chinese investments:

Implications of Chinese Investment for the US
Chinese investment in the U.S. and the around the world is increasing. The PRC does not provide good information on its activities, but that is expected. What is unusual is that the U.S. also does not provide good information on Chinese investment here or elsewhere. The Heritage Foundation's China Global Investment Tracker is a step in the right direction but much more need to be done to understand the benefits and risks of Chinese investment.

Chinese Foreign Investment: Insist on Transparency
China holds more than $1 trillion in American bonds. According to the new Heritage Foundation database on recent Chinese foreign non-bond investment, China has invested more than $15 billion in the U.S. in addition to bonds. China's SAFE is the largest foreign investor in the U.S., but has refused to make its activities more transparent. An American priority should be to enhance transparency in SAFE's spending.

Misses As Well As Hits
China's biggest investment yet turns into its biggest investment failure yet, when China Aluminum's $20 billion offer for 20% of metals giant Rio Tinto is stalled by Australian regulators, criticized by stockholders, and ultimately rejected.

Authors

Derek
Derek Scissors

Former Senior Research Fellow

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