We review previous literature on productivity spillovers of foreign direct investment (FDI) in China and conduct our own analysis using a firm-level data set from a World Bank survey. We find that the evidence of FDI spillovers on the productivity of Chinese domestic firms is mixed, with many positive results largely due to aggregation bias or failure to control for endogeneity of FDI. Attempting over 2500 specifications which take into account forward and backward linkages, we fail to find evidence of systematic positive productivity spillovers from FDI.
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects that foreign direct investment into China has had on the productivity, exporting activity, and innovation of Chinese domestic firms, as well as on the nation''s labor markets. The analysis relies on the most complete data available and state-of-the-art statistical analysis. The book also includes a critical overview of existing theoretical and empirical literature on these issues and is meant to provide guidance to researchers in the area of FDI effects in general, as well as those interested in studying the Chinese economy.
We review previous literature on productivity spillovers of foreign direct investment (FDI) in China and conduct our own analysis using a cross--section of firm data. We find that the evidence of FDI spillovers on the productivity of Chinese domestic firms is mixed, with many positive results largely due to aggregation bias or failure to control for endogeneity of FDI. Attempting over 2500 specifications which take into account forward and backward linkages, we find no evidence of systematic positive productivity spillovers from FDI. We do, however, find robust evidence that Chinese private firms tend to invest less in innovation in the presence of FDI. Combined with our previous findings that domestic private firms tend to be more involved in providing inputs and intermediary goods for foreign firms (Hale and Long, 2006), these results suggest a more passive role played by domestic firms in the global division of labor than envisioned by the Chinese government.
This book provides an insightful exploration of whether foreign direct investment (FDI) can promote the productivity of domestic enterprises. The book is based on a series of dedicated research conducted in the context of the Chinese economy, which has been the largest FDI host among the developing economies since 1993. The main themes of this book are (a) based on the latest literature and first-hand research, outlining possible mechanisms through which foreign direct investment could promote the productivity of domestic enterprises; (b) developing a comprehensive research framework to quantify the spillover effects with cutting-edge methodology; (c) constructing a decision support system for evaluating FDI policy reforms with advanced computer simulation techniques; (d) evaluating the broader impact of FDI spillovers on banking system and trade pattern. The book examines topical economic issues in the contemporary world economy from innovative perspectives, namely, how the presence of multinational enterprises has been one of the most important microeconomic drivers for the Chinese economy, how foreign banks have helped to enable Chinese banking system survive the global financial crisis, and how the domestic enterprises have learned to do exports from multinational affiliates and have changed the landscape of U.S.-Asian trade. The book incorporates the latest development of economic theory as well as computational economics model.
A number of recent studies examine productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment (FDI) to China's domestic industrial enterprises. This study goes further by investigating the implications of institutions for the nature of productivity spillovers during 1998-2007. We examine three institutional features that comprise aspects of China's "special characteristics": (1) the different sources of FDI, where FDI is nearly evenly divided between mostly Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and the region known as "Greater China", consisting of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau; (2) China's heterogeneous ownership structure, involving state- (SOEs) and non-state owned (non-SOEs) enterprises, firms with foreign equity participation, and non-SOE, domestic firms; and (3) industrial promotion via tariffs or through tax holidays to foreign direct investment. We also explore how productivity spillovers from FDI changed with China's entry into the WTO in late 2001. We find robust positive and significant spillovers to domestic firms via backward linkages (the contacts between foreign buyers and local suppliers). Our results suggest varied success with industrial promotion policies. Final goods tariffs as well as input tariffs are negatively associated with firm-level productivity. However, we find that productivity spillovers were higher from foreign firms that paid less than the statutory corporate tax rate.
China has become such an important element of the global economy that its influence cannot be ignored in almost any field of endeavour. The phenomenal impact of FDI in China and its (largely trade-related) consequences has been well documented and now there is a significant literature on the phenomenon of outward investment from China too. This book is an in depth study of the international business relationships of China covering both inward and outward foreign direct investment, its impact and related theoretical and policy issues. This volume of highly renowned author Peter Buckley's collected papers from 2005-8 continues his interest in the theory of international business (Section I) and policies towards foreign direct investment (FDI) (Section IV) but has a major concentration on China, both as regards outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) from China (Section II) and FDI in China (Section III).
Abstract: A number of recent studies examine productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment (FDI) to China's domestic industrial enterprises. This study goes further by investigating the implications of institutions for the nature of productivity spillovers during 1998-2007. We examine three institutional features that comprise aspects of China's â??special characteristicsâ??: (1) the different sources of FDI, where FDI is nearly evenly divided between mostly Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and the region known as â??Greater Chinaâ??, consisting of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau; (2) China's heterogeneous ownership structure, involving state- (SOEs) and non-state owned (non-SOEs) enterprises, firms with foreign equity participation, and non-SOE, domestic firms; and (3) industrial promotion via tariffs or through tax holidays to foreign direct investment. We also explore how productivity spillovers from FDI changed with China's entry into the WTO in late 2001. We find robust positive and significant spillovers to domestic firms via backward linkages (the contacts between foreign buyers and local suppliers). Our results suggest varied success with industrial promotion policies. Final goods tariffs as well as input tariffs are negatively associated with firm-level productivity. However, we find that productivity spillovers were higher from foreign firms that paid less than the statutory corporate tax rate
Economic theory posits numerous channels through which FDI might create positive spillovers for domestic firms. However, the results of empirical studies that have sought to document these spillovers have been mixed. One explanation for this variation is that the capacity of domestic firms to absorb spillovers might vary. In the present paper, we explore these issues in the case of China. Aside from being one of the world's leading hosts of foreign direct investment, China makes for an interesting case study because its provinces vary greatly with respect to those factors most commonly held to influence absorptive capacity, such as the initial level of technology in domestic firms. This paper begins by empirically establishing that the spillovers from foreign direct investment do indeed vary across provinces. Threshold values for various factors that influence absorptive capacity factors are then estimated and it is found that conditions in many provinces presently fall short of these values. This provides an obvious focus of attention for China's policy-makers.
China's increasing openness to foreign direct investment (FDI) has contributed importantly to its exceptional growth performance. This paper examines China's experience with FDI and identifies some lessons for other countries. Most of the factors explaining China's success have also been important in attracting FDI to other countries: market size, labor costs, quality of infrastructure, and government policies. FDI has contributed to higher investment and productivity growth, and has created jobs and a dynamic export sector. China's success, however, did not come without some pitfalls: an increasingly complex tax incentive system and growing regional income disparities. Accession to the WTO should broaden China's "opening up" policies and continue FDI's contributions to China's economy in the future.
