Chinese companies scouring the world to buy technology, brands and multinational corporations have sparked a significant trend this year. The scale is impressive.
The value of Chinese overseas acquisitions announced in the first nine months totalled about $191bn, almost double the inflows of foreign investment into China over the same period.
The acquisitions are generally welcomed by recipient countries. They help create jobs and economic growth. Signs of resistance are mounting in the US, Australia and recently in Europe too. Nearly $40bn in planned Chinese deals have been scuppered since mid-2015, mostly because of tightened scrutiny over competition and national security concerns.