Anbang’s US$6.5 billion acquisition of Strategic Hotels & Resorts was the largest Chinese FDI transaction in the US last year. Photo: AFP
Anbang’s US$6.5 billion acquisition of Strategic Hotels & Resorts was the largest Chinese FDI transaction in the US last year. Photo: AFP

Baker McKenzie writes this week that combined foreign direct investments from China into the advanced economies of North America and Europe grew 130% in 2016.

For the first time since 2013 Chinese FDI into the US (US$48 billion) outpaced flows into Europe ($46 billion).

Private companies accounted for 70% of the total, as corporate China continues to grow in global stature.

While the last three years has seen Chinese overseas investments grow at a breakneck pace, global head of M&A at Baker McKenzie notes that things will probably slow down to some degree this year.

“The deal pipeline is strong in both Europe and North America, but political and regulatory uncertainties are weighing on the outlook.” DeFranco added that “[a] short-term slowdown in new deals is likely for 2017.