Chinese overseas investment witnesses growth

Chinese overseas investment has witnessed phenomenal growth in recent years. And an increasing number of Chinese companies are planning to expand their global reach.

China's outbound investment in 2011 reached 74.6 billion US dollars. Within that figure, more than 27 billion dollars were via mergers and acquisitions in overseas markets. Recent surveys show that almost 90 percent of companies plan to increase overseas investment in the next 5 years.

Asia and North America are still the primary destinations, but Africa is gaining more importance. Over 20 percent of companies surveyed have already invested on the African continent. Companies investing abroad are largely focused on manufacturing and agricultural sectors. But investments in mining and service industries have surged. And high-tech companies are attracting more interest from Chinese companies, when it comes to mergers and acquisitions.