Chinese Construction Contracting in the Global South: Analyzing the Effects of International Politics on Their Spatial Distribution
Description:
Chinese construction companies have undergone a marked process of internationalization over the past two decades. Between 2000 and 2021, their overseas revenues exceeded $2 trillion. Chinese contractors have developed projects in almost every country in the world, but their footprint is unevenly distributed. Analyses of Chinese contractors’ overseas operations often overlook the role of international politics in shaping their geographic distribution. Yet that can be a key factor in shaping cross-border economic exchanges of all kinds. Given this, this research project seeks to identify the effects of international politics on the geographic distribution of Chinese construction firms’ operations in the Global South. To this end, a gravity model will be employed to measure the effects of selected variables and case studies to explore causal mechanisms. This research will help to understand the effects of the Chinese state on their firms’ overseas operations.
Participating institutions:
- Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies
Main researchers:
Leolino Dourado
Researcher at the Center for China and Asia Pacific Studies
