China on an outbound investment spree

CHINESE companies have been stepping up their global investment spree in the past 12 months. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by private Chinese investors are becoming the key drivers of the country's outbound direct investment.

In what has been called the "Third Wave" of China outbound direct investment (ODI), the focus has been on companies in the developed economies in high-tech and services. Previous "waves" have focused on supporting developing economies and investing in commodities and extraction industries.

The increase in China's ODI is driven by the central government's strong encouragement for domestic companies to invest overseas to boost their international competitiveness. The added benefit of ODI to …