Record likely for high-tech ODI

High-technology investment from China into the United States is headed for a record high this year, a survey has found.

During the first quarter, Chinese outbound high-tech deals exceeded $6 billion, compared with about $1 billion annually since 2010, according to a report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and the Asia Society.

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Chinese outbound direct investment in the US has evolved from trade facilitation and resource extraction to investment in high-tech manufacturing and advanced services, said Thilo Hanemann, research director of consulting firm Rhodium Group LLC, a key author of the report.

"The recent boom is driven by a mix of policy liberalization and changing commercial realities in the Chinese marketplace, which are forcing companies to expand beyond China's borders," he said.

An increasingly important driver of Chinese high-tech ODI is the acquisition of technology, brands, distribution channels and other strategic assets to improve long-term competitiveness.

A second and emerging factor is the desire of Chinese companies to increase the efficiency of their global operations by tapping the talent base and advanced institutions in the US.

The report dismissed concerns that China's investment will move innovative-intensive activities to China and thus hollow out US capabilities.

On the contrary, Chinese investment has resulted in more development spending and created or sustained at least 25,000 US jobs.

The report said that national security concerns in the US have affected a number of deals and led to politicization of others. It suggested that such concerns should be managed appropriately.