Belt and Road Initiative gives boost to Chinese outbound investments

The scale of China's outbound direct investment rose above $200 billion for three consecutive years post-BRI

From 2014 to 2018, China has committed an investment of more than $1 trillion in about 1,700 projects in 130 nations across the world. More than half of it has been in countries which are part of its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was announced in late 2013.

The data maintained by Washington DC-based think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI) shows that China’s outbound direct investment (ODI) doubled after the wheels of the BRI were set into motion. Chart 1 shows that the scale of Chinese ODI rose above $200 billion for three consecutive years post-BRI. 

Chart 2