Chinese multinational enterprises have massively expanded their international investments in all parts of the world over the past two decades. Today, Chinese companies operate in almost every country, and their accumulated stock of global investments ranks second in the world – only multinationals from the United States are more internationally invested. Politically, the Chinese government has underpinned this trend through the establishment of its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China has emerged as a new source of large-scale capital investments and business activities in a variety of sectors, from large infrastructure and construction projects and the creation of special economic zones to manufacturing activities, the provision of services and the acquisition of companies. The implications are significant not only for the global economy, but also for affected societies, international politics and national security.

Yet, despite the importance of this trend, Chinese investments are insufficiently investigated and under-theorised. The applicability of existing theories to the Chinese case has been questioned, as Chinese companies exhibit unique properties that distinguish them from other multinationals, such as being under considerable state influence. Other aspects, such as the specificities of large-scale infrastructure projects and special economic zones, or the political and security dimensions of Chinese investments, also have yet to be properly investigated and theorised.

This research group brings together academics across King’s who are working on research questions that seek to examine these issues.