Portugal

China says will lift all barriers to foreign direct investment (FDI) not included on the negative list and launch a special inspection to ensure foreign investors are treated fairly. China is advancing its promise to open its financial sector as evidenced by its approval of Swiss UBS Group’s control of a local joint venture (JV). Tesla has opened the bidding to build its “gigafactory” in Shanghai that will help it avoid Chinese tariffs on imported US-built cars. Sensitive to rising national security concerns, British telecom firm BT Group has blocked Huawei from supplying equipment for its core 5G technology. Diverging from other countries, Portugal allowed its major network provider to sign a contract with Huawei. Japan and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. are contemplating abandoning a nuclear project in Turkey due to ballooning costs. Tokyo will issue guidelines for the acquisition of telecommunications equipment by central government ministries and the Self-Defense Forces that implicitly relate to Chinese makers. South Korean and Chinese officials hold investment promotion meeting in Beijing to seek ways to lower trade barriers and boost bilateral investment. Korean delegations makes urgent visit to the United Arab Emirates to dispel worries of Korea’s possible loss of the exclusive right to operate the Barakah nuclear power plant.

China’s inward foreign direct investment (FDI) for the first nine months of 2016 grows a modest 4.2 percent year-over-year (YOY). China takes various steps to ease process for inward FDI, but foreign observers reserve judgement. Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration imposes several million dollars in fines on Shanghai Husi and OSI Group’s China office for distributing reprocessed and expired meat. GlaxoSmithKline has been moving over the past two years to enhance its R&D capabilities in China and to take other steps to enhance its ability to serve Chinese patients. Chinese outward FDI in the US hits a record in 2015, spurring increased sensitivity. Chinese President Xi Jinping promises Portuguese Prime Minister his country will encourage more investment in Portugal. Alibaba plans to help Thailand with small business development, e-commerce, and e-payments. Chongqing actively engages with China’s One Belt, One Road scheme giving it all kinds of new export and logistics opportunities. Fujitsu plans to downside in the UK and denies the move relates to Brexit, though there are doubts. Japan’s SoftBank partners with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund to create massive tech investment fund. Korean construction firm Doosan wins approximately billion dollar power plant project in Saudi Arabia. Korea Electric Power Corporation wins more than $35 billion coal-fired thermal plant contract in South Africa, the country’s first independent power project. Investors enthused about Indonesia infrastructure opportunities, but worry about requirement they be paid in rupiah. Malaysia welcomes investment in the biomass industry and announces major new investment by Korean petroleum refiner. Samsung’s massive global Galaxy7 smartphone recall may have an adverse impact on Vietnam’s growth rate. Ho Chi Minh City see big drop in investment in industrial parks and export processing zones as it pushes investment in tech rather than labor-intensive sectors.