China has been involved in Africa for decades, with total investments reaching $3.5 trillion by the end of 2015, nearly seven times the 2007 amount. Over 10,000 Chinese firms are operating there, handling 12% of Africa’s industrial production. Now, in addition to the traditional large construction projects, Chinese firms are also getting involved in retail markets like smartphone and home appliances. As China’s momentum in Africa has picked up, so too has the need to expand beyond economic involvement. A key event happened in July 2017, when China dispatched military personnel to set up its first overseas base in Djibouti, the small but strategically-placed country on the Gulf of Aden.
Q2 2017 China Data: The Stats You Need to Know
A look at the China data you should care about–from China’s investment in an electric car factory in Germany to the 25,000 tons of avocado imports from Latin America. Plus, a look at China’s first homemade passenger jet, the C919, which took its maiden flight in May and seeks to compete with Boeing and Airbus; and technology giant Tencent’s USD 316 billion market cap, which makes it the ninth-largest listed company globally. More international trades are set to grow in the future: One Belt and Road Forum China signed more than 270 agreements with 68 countries and international organizations as China pushes its Silk Road revival.
Will Fosun Group Become Another Berkshire Hathaway?
Fosun Group, the largest private conglomerate in China, has been on what looks like a no holds-barred acquisition spree for a few years now. It controls the largest number of listed companies in China. It has invested in sectors as diverse as fashion, films and tourism outside China, whereas within China, the company relies heavily on its industrial operations. It is known for having a good relationship with the government, yet last year, Fosun’s founder suddenly disappeared to supposedly assist a graft investigation. How has Fosun scaled up? How do the acquisitions tie in with its business model? And will it realize its ambitions of becoming China’s Berkshire Hathaway?
China Data: McDonald’s China Ups the Ante
The world’s largest restaurant chain is gearing up to do even more in China. In a bid to make China its second-largest market globally, fast food company McDonald’s is set to open 1,250 new outlets in China over the next five years. Despite recent troubles over food safety in China, McDonald’s continues to be gung ho about its prospects in the country. Even concerns over a slowing economy aren’t dampening is spirits. McDonald’s is betting on population growth and rising urbanization to give sales a boost. In this edition of China Data, we bring you the latest numbers from China: from Ronald McDonald’s China plans to wind power and pork prices in the country.
Chinese Acquisitions in the West: Making a Meal of It
The Chinese economy grew by 6.9% in 2015, the slowest pace in 25 years. The slowdown is likely to last as China works to change the fundamentals of its economy and transition from relying on investment to growth driven by services and consumption. In November 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping said: “We will work hard to shift our growth from just expanding scale to improving its structure.” Overseas deal making is one way China is transforming its economy. Once used primarily to acquire energy and resources from developing countries, China’s outbound mergers and acquisitions increasingly involve the acquisition of premium assets in the US and Europe.
Safe Havens: Global Real Estate Assets of Chinese Companies
New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel regularly makes headlines when it hosts celebrities. But in 2014 it made the news for different reasons when China’s Anbang Insurance Group bought the building for $1.95 billion. The bottom line turned some heads, but the Obama administration’s decision to break with tradition and stay at the New York Palace Hotel for the UN General Assembly drew a lot of attention. A Chinese company buying property in the US, Anbang got caught in tense bilateral relations. The Waldorf Astoria deal is one of the many foreign commercial real estate purchases of mainland Chinese investors. What are their motivations?
Gold Rush: Chinese Tech Companies Invest Overseas
Having established their dominance at home, China’s leading tech companies are increasingly turning their gaze overseas
China Data: A Milestone for RMB Internationalization
Essential numbers on China: from the RMB internationalization to the contraction in the luxury market, growth in e-commerce transaction value, and more
Chinese Outbound Investment in Entertainment: Pass Me the Popcorn!
Chinese outbound investment in entertainment is growing phenomenally. A look at the big deals like Dalian Wanda’s purchase of US-based AMC Entertainment.
Chinese Outbound Investment in Technology: Bits, Bytes, and All Things Tech
What are the likes of Lenovo, Tencent, Huawei and Alibaba buying? A look at some of the most significant Chinese outbound investment deals in technology.
Follow us