Videos | Economy | Southeast Asia
As investment moves away from China, which countries are reaping the rewards?
Trade wars and geopolitical tensions have brought an era of increasing globalization to a close. And it’s upending global trade: in 2024, for the first time ever, China’s foreign direct investment recorded a net negative. After decades of constant surpluses, net FDI dropped by almost $170 billion.
But that money didn’t just disappear. Instead, it was diverted to alternative destinations. If not to China, where did those missing billions go instead?
Growing strategic competition between China and the United States has disrupted the international trade order. Multinational firms that invested heavily in China have been put in a particularly difficult position. Many have now found their futures held hostage by U.S. tariffs, great power competition, and even a potential future conflict.
