Why Chinese Companies Go Abroad? A Theoretical Model to Explain the Drivers of the Internationalization Strategy of Chinese MNEs

Abstract

China is today considered the second power in the world after the USA and recently many Chinese companies became global leaders in their specific industries. This success is also realized thanks to the expansion strategy adopted by many Chinese multinationals that have realized FDIs both towards other developing countries and towards advanced economies. What are the determinants that push the Chinese companies to go abroad? Are the traditional internalization theories based on the concept of ownership advantage able to explain the internationalization of Chinese MNES? Accordingly aim of this paper is to describe the determinants that induce the Chinese companies to realize FDIs and the characteristics that distinguish their internationalization strategy by the strategy adopted by developed countries multinationals.