Outbound foreign investment by Chinese investors saw a sizeable rise in 2020 despite the broader economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
China’s full year outbound foreign direct investment was USD$132.94 billion in 2020, for a YoY rise of 3.3%, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce (mom) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).
This included $110.15 billion in outbound non-financial direct investment, for a YoY decline of 0.4%.
Domestic exports say that the Belt and Road Initiative played a key role in supporting China’s outbound foreign investment levels in 2020, during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In 2020 global investment contracted significantly as a result of the impacts of the Novel Coronavirus,” said Lu Yue (吕越), professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing (UIBE).
“Against this background, China’s outbound foreign investment achieving year-on-year growth of 3.3% can be considered growth contrary to trends, and an outstanding accomplishment.
“Growth in investment in Belt and Road countries and regions made an indispensable contribution to this.”
