The Attitudes of the European Union and China Towards Foreign Direct Investment: Implications for Bilateral Relations

• Authors: Janina Witkowska

Title variants

Podejście Unii Europejskiej i Chin do bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych: implikacje dla wzajemnych stosunków

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The aim of this paper is to discuss new trends that have occurred in the policies of the EU and China towards foreign direct investment (FDI), to examine some implications of the EU‑China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) – which is currently being negotiated – for their bilateral relations, and to assess the role which China’s “One Belt One Road’ (OBOR) initiative might play in its relations with the new EU Member States. The EU established freedom of capital movement with third countries; however, the introduction of the common investment policy has encountered some obstacles. These are related to investor protection and ISDS issues. In turn, China is carrying out an independent state policy towards foreign investment with limited liberalization of FDI flows. The negotiated EU‑China CAI is expected to create conditions conducive to bilateral foreign investment flows, and it might bring positive effects for their economies in the future. However, the progress made thus far in the negotiations is still limited. The relations between China and the new EU Member states (CEE countries) are characterized by common interests in the field of FDI flows. The new EU countries are interested in attracting Chinese FDI and seem not to show the fears that have arisen in the old EU countries.

PL

Celem artykułu jest analiza nowych tendencji w polityce Unii Europejskiej (UE) i Chin wobec bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych (BIZ), dyskusja nad niektórymi implikacjami Wszechstronnej Umowy o Inwestycjach, negocjowanej między UE i Chinami, dla ich wzajemnych stosunków oraz ocena roli chińskiej inicjatywy „One Belt One Road’ (OBOR) w odniesieniu do nowych krajów członkowskich UE. Unia Europejska ustanowiła swobodny przepływ kapitału w stosunkach z krajami trzecimi, jednak wprowadzenie wspólnej polityki wobec inwestycji zagranicznych napotyka na przeszkody, które są związane z kwestiami ochrony inwestorów i rozstrzygania sporów między inwestorami a państwem (ISDS). Chiny prowadzą natomiast niezależną politykę wobec inwestycji zagranicznych, z pewnymi posunięciami liberalizacyjnymi wobec BIZ. Oczekuje się, że negocjowana umowa między UE i Chinami o inwestycjach może stworzyć korzystne warunki dla wzajemnych przepływów BIZ oraz w przyszłości pozytywne efekty dla całych ich gospodarek. Jednakże dotychczasowy postęp w negocjacjach jest ciągle jeszcze ograniczony. Stosunki między Chinami i nowymi krajami członkowskimi UE cechują się obopólnymi interesami w sferze bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych. Nowe kraje członkowskie są zainteresowane przyciąganiem chińskich BIZ, nie okazując obaw, jakie ujawniają się wobec chińskich inwestycji w „starych” krajach członkowskich.

Keywords

EN

EU‑China relations; policy towards foreign direct investment (FDI); the EU‑China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI); “One Belt One Road’ initiative

PL

stosunki między UE a Chinami; polityka wobec bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych (BIZ); Wszechstronna Umowa o Inwestycjach (CAI) między UE i Chinami; inicjatywa „Nowy Jedwabny Szlak” (Inicjatywa Pasa i Szlaku); stosunki między UE a Chinami; polityka wobec bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych (BIZ); Wszechstronna Umowa o Inwestycjach (CAI) między UE i Chinami; inicjatywa „Nowy Jedwabny Szlak” (Inicjatywa Pasa i Szlaku)

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Łódzki. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
• Journal: Comparative Economic Research. Central and Eastern Europe
• Year: 2019
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 83-98

Dates

published

2019-08-19

Contributors

author

Janina Witkowska

• University of Lodz, Faculty of Economics and Sociology Department of World Economy and European Integration, Lodz, Poland

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/cer-2019-0024