China Executive Briefing | Chinese Investment: Where To From Here?

Asia Society Australia hosted our 8th China Executive Briefing with an expert panel Hans Hendrischke (University of Sydney), Amanda Rasmussen (FTI Consulting) and Bryn Davis (Minter Ellison) discussing the current state and future prospects of Chinese investment into Australia.

Under the backdrop of a frosty bilateral relationship and global pandemic, Chinese investment into Australia has nosedived in recent years. From a peak of $19.1 billion in 2008, overseas direct investment from China plummeted to $778 million in 2021.

Despite attempts to repair the bilateral relationship, restrictions on capital outflows from Beijing and stricter screening from Australian regulators has created a challenging environment for Chinese investors who have sought alternative global markets.

Given the current state of Australia-China relations, what are the future prospects, if any, for Chinese investment into Australia?

Our expert panel looked at the performance of Chinese outward investment globally since the pandemic and the latest investment signals from Beijing. Our speakers considered Australia’s current policy settings for foreign investment, the sectors with the most promise for future Chinese investors and where other countries can provide balance to Australia’s inbound investment profile.