BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhuanet): China's outward investment is very likely to exceed foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows this year, making the country a net investor, according to officials at a United Nations body.
This "inevitable trend" will have "great significance in reshaping the economic structure and long-term development" of the world's second-largest economy, they said.
In 2013, China's foreign direct investment rose by 2.3 per cent year-on-year to $123.9 billion, ranking second in the world after the United States, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's World Investment Report on Tuesday.
"China remained the recipient of the second-largest flows in the world. Meanwhile, the quality of FDI inflows improved, with more into high-end manufacturing and services with high added value," said Zhan Xiaoning, director of the Investment and Enterprise Division at UNCTAD.
"What's more, China's outward investment is more striking," Zhan said.
In 2013, investment outflows from China increased by 15 per cent year-on-year to $101 billion, the third highest in the world after the United States and Japan, the report said.
As China continues to deregulate outbound investment, outflows to developed and developing countries are expected to grow further, it said.
Zhan said, "China's economic landscape, driven by exports and foreign investment in the past three decades, will change significantly. Outward investment will serve as an important driver for industrial upgrading and economic growth."
Chinese outward investment to exceed FDI inflows this year
FE Team | Published: June 26, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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