Belt and Road Initiative

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) to consider new draft law on foreign direct investment (FDI) that seeks to provide stronger legal guarantees to overseas investors. About 1/3rd of North American-based corporations on the CNBC Global CFO Council say Chinese companies have stolen their intellectual property (IP) at some point in the past ten years. Mirroring global trends, Chinese FDI in Europe fell drastically in 2018 and a recent survey suggests the European Union (EU)’s new investment screening framework likely will curb Chinese EU mergers and acquisitions even more. Italian economic development ministry official announces Italy is planning to join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Faced with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.’s refusal to negotiate, South Korean plaintiffs who won a wartime forced labor case against the company file court request to seize the company’s assets. Toyota Motor Corp. announced last week it may pull out of production in Britain due to the likely increase of tariffs in the case of a no-deal Brexit. Hyundai Motor is considering suspending operations at its Beijing manufacturing plant partly due to plummeting sales and partly due to budding opportunities elsewhere. South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance reports Korea’s OFDI reached a record high in 2018 partly due to Korean companies going abroad to enjoy a better manufacturing environment.

Sinochem’s chairman predicts Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) abroad will decrease due to trade tensions with the United States (US) and China’s domestic economic slowdown. Former China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) chairman says China should make sure that its investment and financing projects meet international standards to quieten overseas criticism of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The chairman of DP World warns other countries to be careful of China because of the latter’s predatory practices. Former People’s Bank of China official opines restrictions imposed by Western governments on Huawei could lead to it significantly reduce investments in Silicon Valley. Japanese firms cautious about boosting investment given China-US trade war and uncertainty about the global economy. Sony to move its European headquarters from the United Kingdom (UK) to the Netherlands to avoid disruptions that might result from “Brexit.” South Korea will offer support for overseas construction and plant orders to offset weakening exports caused by the global trade disputes and China’s economic slowdown. South Korea’s major business associations and the Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy form alliance to help Korean entrepreneurs seek better opportunities in the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) market.

Foreign companies remain cautious about increasing their foreign direct investment (FDI) in China because of the risk of trade war escalation. Multinational corporations (MNCs) in China worry not only about trade war’s impact on sales, but pressures to relocate their factories. China’s National People’s Congress reviews draft law than seems to more aggressively protect foreign investor interests than a previous version. Survey reveals US businesses finding trade war leading them to face increased Chinese non-tariff barriers. China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the Chinese Academy of Social Science have produced a report that central State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are delivering equal employment benefits to Chinese and locals. Attorneys representing former South Korean forced laborers for Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal file for the seizure of Nippon Steel assets in Korea. South Korean government will tighten rules on the acquisition of Korean companies by foreign firms to limit technology leaks. Seoul to designate OLED equipment and chemical sector as “national core technologies” to gain influence over their sale and export.

China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) reported October inward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows reflected a 7.3 percent rise over the previous year. MOFCOM looks to aid Chinese private companies invest overseas albeit in an “orderly,” guided way. German officials are pressing their government to hang up on Chinese corporate participation in the country’s early 2019 5G spectrum auction. American Enterprise Institute report suggests Belt and Road Initiative investment by Chinese companies is losing steam. Tokyo reassures Japanese businesses of its opposition to any actions requiring Japanese companies to pay compensation to forced laborers, saying the matter was settled in 1965. Japan succeeds in getting member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to adopt new guidelines relating to the quality of infrastructure development and investment. Korean price rigging conspiracy at US military bases in Korea fuels massive USD $200 million in criminal and civil penalties. South Korean legislatures considers broadened value-added tax on global information and communication technology companies to create a level playing field for Korean firms.

Shanghai moves to make life easier for foreign direct investment (FDI) as anxieties grow that FDI may leave. Germany’s Federation of Germany Industries’ position paper calls for German businesses in China to limit their dependence on China. Australia’s exclusion of firms with government ties from its new 5G network mean no involvement by Huawei, leading to Chinese government criticisms. Chile signs on to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. During an official meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, Tokyo pledged USD $2.8 billion in new loans for seven projects in India including the construction of a high-speed shinkansen system and roads. Recent South Korea Supreme Court ruling that Japan’s Nippon Steel must pay compensation to Korean World War II forced laborers leaves roughly 70 Japanese firms facing similar cases on edge. Samsung pledges to increase its contribution to Vietnam while Vietnam pledges to keep improving business environment for the firm.