On Southeast Asian Chinese Capital Investments In Mainland China Since 1978

Southeast Asian Chinese capital investments in Mainland China have been the focus of world's attention. The investors from Southeast Asia and Hong Kong are the pioneers in the investments of foreign capital in China. Southeast Asian Chinese have played crucial roles in the rapid development of China's economy since 1978. It is very important to examine the status, methods, characters and results of Southeast Asian Chinese capital investments in Mainland China.This dissertation will focus on the investments of Southeast Asian Chinese capital in Mainland China. The main motivation of their investments is profit seeking. There are also some investments owing to the kindred feeling, but these investments concentrate on their hometowns. Hong Kong has been a bridge for ethnic Chinese from Southeast Asia to invest in Mainland China since 1980. Some Southeast Asian ethnic Chinese firms have set up their affiliates in Hong Kong, so as to invent in Mainland China. Many Southeast Asian Chinese businessmen have sought a presence in Hong Kong as a base for securing a foothold in China. For Southeast Asian Chinese businessmen, there are channels of clans and lineages to be used for communicating with China from Hong Kong. In this way, Southeast Asian Chinese businessmen have obtained much profit from their investments in Mainland China and have avoided sensitive sentiment in Southeast Asian countries. They have successfully transformed social capital into economic capital and made their transnational investments with lower costs. Hong Kong has played an important role as an entrepot. Now it no longer serves as a middleman but also a capital supplier, investor, and center of communication and transportation. Hong Kong has become the gateway to China for most Southeast Asian ethnic Chinese, as well as the largest source of foreign capital for China.Southeast Asian ethnic Chinese first invested in Special Economic Zonesand coastal Qiaoxiang, and then penetrated into the interior in China. Ethnic Chinese capital from overseas has contributed to the rapid development in Southeastern China, especially in export oriented indusry and economic reform since 1978. Both the overseas Chinese and China have benefited from the integration of southeastern coast of China into overseas Chinese networks, and have rapidly promoted their economic strengths in last 20 years. China is becoming an important source of overseas direct investment. As intermediaries and cooperators, Southeast Asian ethnic Chinese will play an important role when Chinese firms invest in Southeast Asia.