1,721,016 research outputs found
The healthcare industry and the role of China
No full textBackground: Globalization is becoming a key issue for healthcare sector and China seems to gain an increasing role. Increased foreign direct investments (fdis) to and from China reveals
the creation of global value chains in the healthcare industry, with opportunities and challenges for both host and home countries.
Objective: To investigate the motivations and factors that influence Chinese investments location choice in the healthcare sector in Europe, as well as its potential impact on European
countries and markets.
Methods: A unique database from the Ministry of Commerce (mofcom) was used and six fixed-effects logit models were performed on home and host country factors (including state
and regional factors) affecting location choice of Chinese investments in Europe in the healthcare sector.
Results Healthcare quality in both home and host countries has negative effects on Chinese ofdis. Chinese healthcare firms are attracted to countries with well-established institutions.
Population structure and full-time employees in both home regions and host countries significantly affect Chinese ofdis, but with different signs between home regions and host countries. The technological level of host country is an important factor in attracting Chinese healthcare firms.
Conclusions The country endowments, institutions and sectoral specificity of both home and host countries are shaping the location choice by Chinese healthcare firms in eu. Chinese
firms are not only market-seekers, but also strategic-asset-seekers. Policy implications are relevant and call for coordination of local industrial and promotion policies of European countries,
also considering the potential impact of Chinese fdi on the access to health professionals’ talents and health technologies
The integration of Chinese and European renewable energy markets: The role of Chinese foreign direct investments
No full textIn the renewable energy (RE) sectors, foreign direct investments are becoming an important mean of regional integration between China and Europe, as a result of the combined effect of Europe–China dialog on energy issues; Chinese energy policy; and Chinese Go Global policy.
Using a firm level data set from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, we perform an analysis on location choice by Chinese RE firms from 2004 to 2013, within Europe. We depict a map of “where to where” (home province vs. host country) and “who to where” (firm level characteristics vs. host country), to find out how characteristics of home and host regions affecting the integration of Chinese and European RE markets.
Main results are the following. Investment pairs in RE sectors reflect a duality: firms tend to seek countries with similar institutional environment, compared with their origin regions. Countries with weak and immature institutions are attractive for immature and inexperienced Chinese firms.
Main features of Chinese investors are the following: private, non-listed firms, entering through greenfield, focusing on sales. Market-seeking investors tend to enter countries with both well-developed institutional environment and industry development base. R&D-oriented investments are more likely to flow to countries with well-developed institutional environment
International competitive strategy choices: comparing firms in China and India
No full textThis study investigates the types of international competitive strategies (ICS) followed by Chinese and Indian firms. Using firm-level primary data, the contribution analyses the factors that affect ICS choices and whether these factors differ between the two countries. It argues that firms’ resources and capabilities influence firms’ propensity to choose a specific ICS and that the strategies differ in relation to firms’ location, sector and destination market as well
More heat than light? Renewable energy policy and EU–China solar energy relations
No full textThis paper explores recent developments in EU–China relations in the renewable energy sector, in the context of several recent high-profile trade conflicts. Our key findings are that both trade and investment from China into the EU increased markedly in the years up to 2011, but have fallen since then, most notably for trade. While trade tensions explain some of this fall, it seems more related to fundamental changes in the EU market and a rising realisation that China’s domestic market is key to the sector’s long-term development. The destination and source of Chinese investments in the EU are highly concentrated, with Germany the destination for half of investments and two Chinese provinces –Jiangsu and Zhejiang – making up 65% of the source of funds. Most of the companies investing are small, commercially oriented enterprises, indicating that market-seeking is their key objective, with strategic assets apparently less important
The determinants of location choice: Chinese foreign direct investments in the European renewable energy sector
No full textPurpose
– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of institutional distance and host country attractiveness in location determinants of Chinese Foreign investments in EU in the renewable energy sector, taking into account bilateral political and economic relations.
Design/methodology/approach
– A firm-level Ministry of Commerce (MofCom) database of greenfield and non-greenfield Chinese investments abroad is used. A six fixed-effects logit analysis is performed.
Findings
– Chinese firms tend to invest in EU countries with reduced rule of law; market affluence is an attraction factor for them, but they do not seem to be human capital asset-seekers. Countries with politically stable environment are most attractive to sales/services subsidiaries; while countries with good control of corruption, low trade barriers and encouraging foreign ownership are most attractive to manufacturing subsidiaries. A large market is the most attractive factor for R & D subsidiaries, and a rich market is the most attractive factor for manufacturing subsidiaries. Manufacturing subsidiaries are more technological asset-seekers. R & D subsidiaries are the most non-human capital asset-seekers.
Research limitations/implications
– The study extends the state of the art of the literature by developing a theoretical framework, grounded on the influence of host country institutional factors and on endowment of resources on the location choice of Chinese investors. Further variables should be included in the future (industrial specialization of host country, cultural distance, bilateral ties).
Practical implications
– Policy implications are relevant. They are related both to outward foreign direct investment attraction policies and to Europe-China cooperation dialogue. With reference to attraction policies, as Chinese green firms are technological asset-seekers, more than human capital asset-seekers, EU countries interested in partnering with Chinese investors should develop specific measures targeting encouraging technology spillover. Even R & D subsidiaries should be tempted with technology-oriented measures. With reference to Europe-China cooperation, the paper findings support suggestions for a more active European position on foreign investments in key European energy sectors.
Originality/value
– The paper is grounded on an improved theoretical model, tested through a unique Mofcom firm-level database. Originality lies in the fact that the authors provide a sectoral insight. The need for sectoral analysis is fundamental as Chinese industrial development and internationalization path vary extensively across industry, due to policy interventions, supportive measures and prioritized initiatives. Zhang et al. (2011, p. 229) found that – specifically – the energy sector is highly sensitive to host country institutional context, therefore Chinese foreign direct investment are more likely to be exposed to regulatory and competitive pressure compared to other industries
China and Europe’s Partnership for a More Sustainable World. Challenges and Opportunities
No full textFor many years EU and China have been developing a dialogue and effective cooperation initiatives on the need to face the environmental issues. They have found common ground on many key aspects and cooperation has been extensive in several fields. Diplomatic efforts have contributed to strengthen partnering opportunities between the two countries.
EU-China cooperation for environment protection has a quite long history. While the relation started as a mainly trade-oriented relationship, it has become a wide partnership, which has benefited from a sound institutional framework. The cooperation has embraced climate change issues, with strong linkages between energy security and environmental security.
Several aspects can be cited as drivers of the European interest in strengthening environment partnership with China. Europe has a comparative advantage in the field and has the opportunity to use this to gain bargaining power. China is a profitable market, both for the export of European environmental goods and for European firms seeking to invest locally. Moreover, helping China to diversify its energy mix and to improve its energy efficiency would have positive spillovers for the EU in terms of reduced global demand.
From the Chinese perspective, China has several reasons to engage with the EU, which include the latter’s long experience in this sector and China’s need to implement “more sustainable growth strategies”. There are clear synergies between China’s search for a more sustainable growth path and EU capacities in environmental protection and renewable energy technologies.
This book gathers some of the main findings of the EU-funded project POREEN on Partnering opportunities between Europe and China in the renewable energies and environmental industries. As a Marie Curie action, Poreen’s goal was to produce research results which inform policy, while improving knowledge and research skills. In fact, research outputs were developed leveraging academic mobility in China and Europe, particularly of young researchers. Their common objective was to seek to highlight opportunities to expand and develop this important relationship in a way that moves both regions towards a more sustainable future.
In a four year time frame, researchers analysed the opportunities and potentials to boost cooperation between China and Europe in this important area. They used a variety of research approaches and academic perspectives, combining economic, legal and engineering perspectives.
The economic dimensions of the project included the identification of critical issues, gaps and potential for bilateral foreign direct investments and trade in the broad area of green industries. Legal research had a similar objective, but focused on offshore oil and gas extraction, renewable energies, corporate responsibility and environmental legislation. The team's engineering research relates to energy efficiency and carbon dioxide reduction, particularly concerning transportation and low-carbon buildings.
The book is structured in three interrelated and connected parts.
The first part has an economic and policy orientations. The seven chapters examine different aspects of trade and foreign direct investments relations between Europe and China, in the renewable energies and/or environmental industries. Bilateral trade and FDI flows are analysed, also in the light of Chinese and European green policy and cooperation initiatives. Authors identify obstacles, barriers and difficulties faced by European and Chinese firms in initiating, maintaining and consolidating both trade and investment initiatives in China and Europe, respectively. Key factors and issues to be addressed to further stimulate Europe-China trade and investment flows are considered as well.
The second part sets the legal framework of Europe-China cooperation. The first two papers describe the Chinese environmental protection system, analysing both national laws and governance measures. Then, the focus is on three specific themes: the electric sector in China, the Corporate Social Responsibility in a comparative perspective and the legal framework about civil liability for environmental damages deriving from energy misuses.
The third part is focused on engineering-related research activity. Two main research areas are developed, both related to energy efficiency and carbon dioxide reduction: mobility and the transportation sector and low carbon buildings.
The four chapters highlight the state of the art of the engineering research group in key areas (mobility and the transportation sector and low carbon buildings), that might have a huge potential impact on bilateral cooperation between Europe and China. One topic is related to the use of methane and biomethane, both in its compressed and liquid form, as alternative fuel to reduce the environmental impact and GHG emissions in the transport sector. In general, biomass as feedstock energy source in China and its potential has been evaluated in detail. Whereas on the topic of low carbon buildings, the use of heat pumps and district cooling/heating networks has been considered in order to increase the energy efficiency for space heating and domestic hot water production. Moreover, smart devices in buildings, studied on experimental test rigs, for thermal comfort and consumption reduction have been presented
International competitive strategy choices: comparing firms in China and India
No full textThis study investigates the types of international competitive strategies (ICS) followed by Chinese and Indian firms. Using firm-level primary data, the contribution analyses the factors that affect ICS choices and whether these factors differ between the two countries. It argues that firms’ resources and capabilities influence firms’ propensity to choose a specific ICS and that the strategies differ in relation to firms’ location, sector and destination market as well
Chinese expansion in the international healthcare markets: the role of Chinese OFDI in Europe
No full textThe paper sheds light on the increasing interest of Chinese firms
operating in key healthcare (HC) industries into Europe. After a description of
the economic and policy context for HC in China, we perform an analysis on
location choice by Chinese firms, updated to 2014, within Europe. A MofCom
database of greenfield and non-greenfield Chinese investments abroad is used.
We depict a map of ‘where to where’ of home province vs. host country
involved in the integration of Chinese and European healthcare industries. Both
spatial localisation, and motivations of Chinese investments in Europe are
examined, for the following sub-sectors: pharmaceutical, medical device and
equipment and biotechnology. Research and policy implications conclude the
pape
Benthodytes marianensis, a new species of abyssal elasipodid sea cucumbers (Elasipodida: Psychropotidae) from the Mariana Trench area
No full textLi, Ya-Nan, Xiao, Ning, Zhang, Lv-Ping, Zhang, Haibin (2018): Benthodytes marianensis, a new species of abyssal elasipodid sea cucumbers (Elasipodida: Psychropotidae) from the Mariana Trench area. Zootaxa 4462 (3): 443-450, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4462.3.1
Regional social context and FDI. An empirical investigation on Chinese acquisitions in Europe
No full textEuropean regions are characterized by different economic, technical and social conditions. Such differ- ences might also explain the different strength of European regions in attracting foreign direct invest- ments (FDI). Following recent strands of literature, in this paper we try to identify whether the presence of regional differences in the social context, once considering a set of regional characteristics related to the economic structure and innovative endowments, affects the location of multinational enteprises. To do so, we develop an empirical model using data on Chinese brownfield investments towards European regions. Our results confirm that social context overall matters in location choices, even if heterogeneous effects arise when taking into account technological differences in target sectors. Our evidence is useful in increasing the awareness of policy-makers and of the academic debate on the necessity to consider possible spillover and backlash effects both of social policies and of FDI attraction initiatives
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