Huntsman Program: Chinese Foreign Investment Anonymous

Bottled water. Houses. Waste management. Cows.

The past few years has seen a rise in Chinese investment overseas. Spearheading the movement towards further globalisation in the wake of the United States’ increasing protectionism, China is boosting direct foreign investment through Chinese companies, many of which are state-owned. This trend aligns with China’s vision for more connectivity and cooperation in global development. Regions such as New Zealand are ideal investment hotspots with their abundance of sought-after resources: China occupies the seat as the largest trading partner for both of these countries. Also on the table are farms, water, infrastructure, and property. Notably, China’s surge in overseas investments points to its overarching political aims of consolidating its position as a global superpower.

However, while the increase of Chinese foreign investments spells out positive economic benefits for the target country, this is often dampened by underlying political tensions. The rise in nationalism has left people apprehensive about the merits of foreign investment, stoking fears of jobs being outsourced and ownership being “stolen” by foreigners. In New Zealand, there is a disproportionate amount of...