Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao, recently reported on data released by China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The data show, between April and June of 2023, the growth rate of direct investment liabilities, a measure of foreign direct investment in China, dropped to US$4.9 billion.
The reported figure is 87 percent lower than the figure from the same period last year. This was the smallest quarterly total for foreign direct investment since records began in 1998.
The data from the Administration of Foreign Exchange reflects the trend of declining profits for foreign companies and reduction of their scale in China. Beijing’s three-year-long Zero-Covid program hampered the Chinese economy and limited access to Chinese markets, geopolitical tensions have been on the rise, and China’s post-Covid economic recover has been lackluster. As such, foreign companies are reevaluating the risks associated with doing business in China.
According to data previously released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the actual use of foreign investment (FDI) in the country from January to June of this year fell by 2.7 percent year-over-year, the first decline in three years.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, August 8, 2023
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20230808-1421584