MNI BRIEF: China Outbound Investment Up 7.5% Y/Y

China’s total outbound direct investment reached USD57.5 billion between January and April, up 7.5% y/y, the country’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday, noting USD51 billion represented non-financial investment, up 5.6% y/y.

Investment in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reached USD12.7 billion, up 16.4%, while China’s overseas contracted engineering projects’ turnover reached USD47 billion, up 6.8% y/y, the ministry said.

German FDI into China is expected to remain strong in the coming years, led by a small number of firms seeking to hedge against the U.S.-China trade war and stay competitive with local rivals, a German industry leader in China told MNI. (See MNI INTERVIEW: German FDI In China To Remain)