Share:


The push and pull factors of China’s outward foreign direct investment in BRI countries

    Sin Yee Lee Affiliation
    ; Zulkefly Abdul Karim Affiliation
    ; Norlin Khalid Affiliation
    ; Mohd Azlan Shah Zaidi Affiliation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of push and pull factors that have influenced China’s outward foreign direct investment (COFDI) in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. The sample of BRI countries is divided according to three geographical regions representing Europe, MENA, and Asia for better understanding of the main factors that influence the COFDI across the respective regions. This study supports Dunning’s FDI theory in modeling the determinants of COFDI in BRI economies by focusing on the role of push and pull factors. This present study also extends and improves the existing research by considering the new factors, new methodology, and splitting the sample BRI economies. Thus, a static, dynamic panel and quantile regression technique was employed to model COFDI determinants for 50 BRI countries from 2005 to 2016. The main findings revealed that China’s minimum wage policy, including the host countries’ natural resources, labor cost, and institutional factors were the key determinants influencing COFDI. However, some determinants such as the host countries’ gross domestic product, total patents, trade openness, and inflation rate did not significantly influence COFDI. By splitting the sample according to the respective regions, the results revealed that only the minimum wage policy significantly influenced COFDI in the European region. In comparison, natural resources, gross domestic product, and minimum wage policy were statistically significant for the MENA region. In the Asian region, minimum wage policy, government index, and trade openness were proven essential for COFDI. The policy implications from this study suggest that MNCs from China need to strategize their location for investment in BRI economies. In complement, the BRI recipient countries need to show their advantage and strength in attracting more FDI from China. BRI economies and China MNCs can also be leveraged through understanding how strong the push and pull factors are exerting on outward investment from China.


First published online 30 March 2022

Keyword : China, outward foreign direct investment, pull factors, push factor, belt and road initiatives

How to Cite
Lee, S. Y., Karim, Z. A., Khalid, N., & Zaidi, M. A. S. (2022). The push and pull factors of China’s outward foreign direct investment in BRI countries. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 28(3), 611–637. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2022.15907
Published in Issue
Apr 21, 2022
Abstract Views
1791
PDF Downloads
1654
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Alonso-Borrego, C., & Arellano, M. (1999). Symmetrically normalized instrumental variable estimation using panel data. Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, 17(1), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/07350015.1999.10524795

Arellano, M., & Bond, S. (1991). Some test of specification for panel data: Monte Carlo evidence and an application to employment equations. The Review of Economic Studies, 58(2), 277–279. https://doi.org/10.2307/2297968

Arellano, M., & Bover, O. (1995). Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error components models. Journal of Econometrics, 68(1), 29–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4076(94)01642-D

Armstrong, S. (2011). Assessing the scale and potential of Chinese investment overseas: An econometric approach. China and World Economy, 19(4), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-124X.2011.01248.x

Autor, D. H., Manning, A., & Smith, C. L. (2016). The contribution of the minimum wage to US wage inequality over three decades: A reassessment. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 8(1), 58–99. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20140073

Azman-Saini, W. N. W, Baharumshah, A. Z., & Law, S. H. (2010). Foreign direct investment, economic freedom, and economic growth: international evidence. Economic Modelling, 27(5), 1079–1089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2010.04.001

Bayraktar-Saglam, B., & Boke, S. S. (2017). Labor costs and foreign direct investment: A panel VAR approach. Economies, 5(4), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies5040036

Beck, T., & Levine, R. (2004). Stock markets, banks, and growth: Panel evidence. Journal of Banking and Finance, 28(3), 423–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4266(02)00408-9

Blundell, R., & Bond, S. (1998). Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models. Journal of Econometrics, 87(1), 115–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4076(98)00009-8

Buckley, P. J., & Casson, M. (1976). The future of the multinational enterprise. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-02899-3

Buckley, P. J., Jeremy, L. C., Adam, R. C., Xin, L., Hinrich, V., & Ping, Z. 2007. The determinants of Chinese outward foreign direct investment. Journal of International Business Studies, 38(4), 499–518. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400277

Bun, M. J. G., & Sarafadis, V. (2013). Dynamic panel data models (UVA Econometrics Discussion Paper: 2013/01).

Busse, M., & Hefeker, C. (2007). Political risk, institutions and foreign direct investment. European Journal of Political Economy, 23(2), 397–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2006.02.003

Card, D., & Krueger, A. B. (1994). Minimum wages and employment: A case study of the fast-food industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. American Economic Review, 84(4), 772–793.

Carkovic, M., & Levine, R. (2005). Does foreign direct investment accelerate economic growth? In T. H. Moran, E. M. Graham, & M. Blomström (Eds.), Does foreign direct investment promote development? (pp. 195–220). Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC.

Carvo, G. A., Leiderman, L., & Reinhart, C. M. (1996). Inflows of capital to developing countries in the 1990s. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 10(2), 123–139. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.10.2.123

Chang, S. C. (2014). The determinants and motivations of China’s outward foreign direct investment: A spatial gravity model. Global Economic Review, 43(3), 244–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/1226508X.2014.930670

Chen, J., Liu, Y., & Liu, W. (2020). Investment facilitation and China’s outward foreign direct investment along the belt and road. China Economic Review, 61, 101458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2020.101458

Cheung, Y. W., & Qian, X. W. (2009). Empirics of China’s outward direct investment. Pacific Economic Review, 14(3), 312–341. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0106.2009.00451.x

Cheung, Y. W., Haan, J. D., Qian, X., & Yu, S. (2012). China’s outward direct investment in Africa. Review of International Economics, 20(2), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9396.2012.01017.x

Circular Economy Innovation Communities. (2017). China direct investment abroad. CEIC data. https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/china/direct-investment-abroad

Cui, L., & Jiang, F. (2009). FDI entry mode choice of Chinese firms: A strategic behavior perspective. Journal of World Business, 44(4), 434–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2008.11.004

De Vita, G., & Kyaw, K. S. (2008). Determinants of capital flows to developing countries: A structural VAR analysis. Journal of Economic Studies, 35(4), 304–322. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443580810895608

Dube, A., Lester, W. T., & Reich, M. (2010). Minimum wage effects across state borders: Estimates using contiguous countries. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 92(4), 945–964. https://doi.org/10.1162/REST_a_00039

Dunning, J. H. (1977). Trade, location of economic activity and the MNE. A search for an eclectic approach. In B. Ohlin, P. O. Hesselborn, & P. M. Wijkman (Eds.), The International allocation of economic activity (pp. 395–418). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-03196-2_38

Dunning, J. H., & Lundan, S. (2008). Multinational enterprises and the global economy (2nd ed.). Edward Elgar.

Fan, H., Lin, F., & Tang, L. (2018). Minimum wage and outward FDI from China. Journal of Development Economics, 135, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2018.06.013

Fan, Z., Zhang, R., Liu, X., & Pan, L. (2016). China’s outward FDI efficiency along the Belt and Road. China Agricultural Economic Review, 8(3), 455–479. https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-11-2015-0158

Femandez-Arias, E. (1996). The new wave of private capital inflows: Push or pull? Journal of Development Economics, 48(2), 389–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3878(95)00041-0

Galvao, Jr. A. F. (2011). Quantile regression for dynamic panel data with fixed effects. Journal of Econometrics, 164(1), 142–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconom.2011.02.016

Goh, L. T., Ranjanee, S., & Lin, W. L. (2020). Crazy rich Asian countries? The impact of FDI inflows on the economic growth of the economies of Asian countries: Evidence from an NARDL approach. International Journal of Economics and Management, 14(1), 43–67.

Griliches, Z., & Hausman, J. A. (1986). Errors in variables in panel data. Journal of Econometrics, 31(1), 93–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4076(86)90058-8

Hatzius, J. (1996). Foreign direct investment, capital formation and labor costs: Theory and evidence for Germany (Working Paper No. 468). The Industrial Institute for Economic and Social Research. https://www.ifn.se/wfiles/wp/wp468.pdf

Hayakawa, K. (2009). First difference or forward orthogonal deviations: which transformation should be used in dynamic panel data models? A simulation study. Economics Bulletin, 29(3), 2008–2017.

Herrero, A., & Xu, J. (2017). China’s Belt and Road Initiatives: Can Europe expect trade gains? China World Economy, 25(6), 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/cwe.12222

Huang, Y. (2016). Understanding China’s Belt & Road Initiative: Motivation, framework, and assessment. China Economic Review, 40, 314–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2016.07.007

Idowu, O. F., Okiri, I. J., & Olarewaju, H. I. (2020). Revisiting government expenditure and private investment nexus: An ARDL approach. Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, 54(1), 181–192. https://doi.org/10.17576/JEM-2020-5401-13

International Labour Organization. (2017). Statutory nominal gross monthly minimum wage – Harmonized series. Retrieved July 23, 2017, from https://www.ilo.org/shinyapps/bulkexplorer23/?lang=en&segment=indicator&id=EAR_4MMN_CUR_NB_A

Kaczmarski, M. (2017). Two-ways of Influence building: The Eurasian Economic Union and the One Belt, One Road Initiatives. Europe Asia Studies, 69(7), 1027–1046. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2017.1373270

Kang, L., Fei, P., Yu, Z., & An, P. (2018). Harmony in diversity: Can the One Belt One Road Initiative promote China’s outward foreign direct investment? Sustainability, 10(9), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093264

Karim, Z. A., & Azman-Saini, W. N. W. (2013). Firm-level investment and monetary policy in Malaysia: Do the interest rate and broad credit channels matter? Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, 18(3), 396–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/13547860.2012.742686

Koenker, R., & Bassett, G. (1982). Robust tests for heteroscedasticity based on regression quantiles. Econometrica, 50(1), 43–61. https://doi.org/10.2307/1912528

Kolstad, L., & Wiig, A. (2009). What determines Chinese outward FDI? (CMI Working Paper). Chr. Michelsen Institute.

Kolstad, I., & Wiig, A. (2012). What determines Chinese outward FDI? Journal of World Business, 47(1), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2010.10.017

Kumaran, V. V., Song, P. W., Mohamed, Z. Z., Lim, T. K., Mei, K. Y., Yong, K. T., & Chew, F. C. (2020). Efficiency analysis of China’s outward foreign direct investment in ASEAN countries. International Journal of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity, 11(1), 871–884.

Law, S. H. (2018). Applied panel data analysis: Short panel. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.

Li, J. (2014). China’s outward FDI: A study of push and pull factors in selected Asian countries. PSAKU International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 3(1), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.12778/235108618X15452373185273

Li, Z., Huang, Z., & Dong, H. (2019). The influential factors on outward foreign direct investment: Evidence from the “The Belt and Road”. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 55(14), 3211–3226. https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2019.1569512

Liu, H. Y., Tang, Y. K., Chen, X. L., & Poznanska, J. (2017). The determinants of Chinese outward FDI in countries along “One Belt One Road”. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 53(6), 1374–1387. https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2017.1295843

Lokesha, B., & Leelavathy, D. (2012). Determinants of foreign direct investment: A macro perspective. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 47(3), 459–469.

Ma, J., Balezentis, T., Zhao, Z., & Fang, Ch. (2017). One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative in Central Asia: The study of OBOR on China and Central Asia agricultural trade. Transformations in Business and Economics, 16(3), 41–55.

Mumtaz, M. Z., & Smith, Z. A. (2018). The determinants of Chinese outward foreign direct investment: A closer look. Frontiers of Economics in China, 13(4), 577–601.

Neumark, D., & Wascher, W. (2000). Minimum wages and employment: A case study of the fast-food industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania: Comment. American Economic Review, 90(5), 1362–1396. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.90.5.1362

Nickell, S. (1981). Biases in dynamic models with fixed effects. Econometrica, 49(6), 1417–1426. https://doi.org/10.2307/1911408

Nordin, N., & Nordin, N. (2016). Determinants of innovation in developing countries: A panel generalized method of moments analysis. Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, 50(2), 93–105. https://doi.org/10.17576/JEM-2016-5002-08

Powell, D. (2014). Did the economic stimulus payments of 2008 reduce labor supply? Evidence from quantile panel data estimation (RAND Labor and Population Working Paper 710–3). https://doi.org/10.7249/WR710-3

Ramasamy, B., Yeung, M., & Laforet, S. (2012). China’s outward foreign direct investment: Location choice and firm ownership. Journal of World Business, 47(1), 17–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2010.10.016

Roodman, D. (2009). How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata. Stata Journal, 9(1), 86–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536867X0900900106

Roy, I., & Narayanan, K. (2017). Pull factors of FDI: A cross-country analysis of advanced and developing countries. In N. S. Siddharthan & K. Narayanan (Eds.), India Studies in Business and Economics. Globalisation of Technology (pp. 13–46). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5424-2_2

Saada, R. M., Noora, A. H., & Norb, A. H. (2014). Developing countries’ outward investment: Push factors for Malaysia. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 130, 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.028

Sekkat, K., & Veganzones, M. A. V. (2007). Openness, investment climate, and FDI in developing countries. Review of Development Economics, 11(4), 607–620. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9361.2007.00426.x

Shahriar, S., Kea, S., & Qian, L. (2020). Determinants of China’s outward foreign direct investment in the Belt & Road Economies: A gravity model approach. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 15(3), 427–445. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-03-2019-0230

Sodik, J., Sarungu, J. J., Soesilo, A. M., & Tri Rahayu, S. A. (2019). The determinants of foreign direct investment across provinces in Indonesia: The role of market size, resources, and competitiveness. Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, 53(3), 141–152. https://doi.org/10.17576/JEM-2019-5303-11

Tao, D. Y., Chen, V. W., & Monarch, R. (2010). Rising wages: Has China lost its global labor advantage? Pacific Economic Review, 15(4), 482–504. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0106.2009.00465.x

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2018). World Investment Report 2018. UNCTAD. https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/wir2018_en.pdf

Vernon, R. (1966). International trade and international investment in the product cycle. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 80(2), 190–207. https://doi.org/10.2307/1880689

Wahed, M. S., & Rahman, M. (2018). China’s outward foreign direct investment to Bangladesh: Perspectives of the host country stakeholders. Strategic Change, 27(5), 455–467. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2230

Wang, B., Mao, R., & Gou, Q. (2014). Overseas impacts of China’s outward direct investment. Asian Economic Policy Review, 9(2), 227–249. https://doi.org/10.1111/aepr.12065

Wei, S. Z., & Zhu, Z. (2007). A revisit to the outward FDI determinants: Further evidence from count panel data models with fixed effects. Applied Economics Letters, 14(11), 809–812. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504850600689923

World Bank Data. (2017a). Exports of goods and services (% of GDP). World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017b). Fuel exports (% of merchandise exports). World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017c). GDP (constant 2010 US$). World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017d). GDP per capita (constant 2010 US$). World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017e). Inflation, consumer prices (annual %). World Development Indicator, Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017f). Imports of goods and services (% of GDP). World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017g). Ores and metals exports (% of merchandise exports). World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017h). Patent applications, nonresidents. World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017i). Patent applications, residents. World Development Indicator. Retrieved July 21, 2017, from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

World Bank Data. (2017j). Control of corruption; government effectiveness; political stability and absence of violence/terrorism; rule of law; regulatory quality; and voice and accountability; World governance indicator. Retrieved July 19, 2017, from https://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/Home/Reports

World Population Review. (2019). http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/china-population/

Wu, Y., & Chen, C. (2019). The impact of China’s outward foreign direct investment on trade intensity with Belt and Road Countries. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 57(6), 1773–1792. https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2019.1646124

Yu, S., Qian, X., & Liu, T. (2019). Belt and road initiatives and Chinese firm’ outward foreign direct investment. Emerging Markets Review, 41, 100629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ememar.2019.100629

Yue, L., Yunlong, L., Ka, Z., & Yadong, L. (2018). China’s outward foreign direct investment and the margins of trade: Empirical evidence from “one belt, one road” countries. China: An International Journal, 16(1), 129–151.

Zhang, X., & Daly, K. (2011). The determinants of China’s outward foreign direct investment. Emerging Markets Review, 12(4), 389–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ememar.2011.06.001