2015 Articles

China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment and International Investment Law

Sauvant, Karl P.; Nolan, Michael D.

As China’s outward foreign direct investment (FDI) has grown, its approach to international investment agreements (IIAs) has changed. China is now one of the world’s most important outward investors, with Chinese FDI facing widespread criticism. The challenge for China is to adapt to this new configuration of interests stemming from these developments, both in terms of its national policies and the contents of its IIAs. In so doing, it is likely to influence, perhaps significantly, the further evolution of international investment law. This article deals briefly with the salient features of China’s outward FDI and the policies that support it (Section A); the perception and reception of China’s outward FDI in key host countries (Section B); and the changing nature of the country’s approach to international investment treaties (Section C). The article concludes (Section D) with a brief review and outlook.