Heterogeneity and Drivers of Chinese Manufacturing FDI in Africa
Evidence From Angola and Ethiopia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21594477 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Weiwei Chen (0000-0002-2162-0941, School of Social Sciences & Global Studies The Open University Milton Keynes UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 174-191 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of International Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0954-1748 • E-ISSN: 1099-1328 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/jid.70038 |
| OpenAlex | W4416676573 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 48 |
This article examines the heterogeneity and drivers of Chinese manufacturing foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa through a comparative analysis of Angola and Ethiopia. Drawing on 8 years of fieldwork (2015–2023), it develops a typology distinguishing market‐embedded firms from global production network (GPN)‐integrated firms, linking firm characteristics to host‐country institutional and policy contexts. This relational–institutional approach addresses limitations in conventional FDI frameworks that overlook variation within similar ownership categories and the influence of local institutional environments. The analysis shows how firm strategies, ownership structures and integration into global or local markets interact with sectoral conditions and industrial policies to shape divergent investment trajectories. Ethiopia's structured, export‐oriented strategy has attracted GPN‐integrated light manufacturers, while Angola's post‐war, market‐driven environment has favoured domestically oriented and diaspora‐led ‘translocal’ enterprises. By integrating firm‐level diversity with host‐country contexts, the article contributes to debates in FDI, GPN and Global China scholarship, offering insights for targeted industrial policies that maximise developmental outcomes
China · Foreign direct investment · Globalization · Typology · China's Global Influence and Migration · International Business and FDI · International Development and Aid
Global Value Chains and Development
The Competitive Advantage of Nations
Made in Africa
A Historical Pattern of Economic Growth in Developing Countries
Global China at 20
The Internationalization of Chinese Firms
Guanxi
Unemployment in women with psychosocial disabilities during the Covid‐19 pandemic
Markets, States or Transnational Networks? Explaining Technology Leverage by Latecomer Firms in Industrializing Countries
Is China’s Model of SEZ-Led Development Viable? A Call for Smart Replication
Location, control and innovation in knowledge-intensive industries
Individual agency in South-South policy transfer
A comparative political economy of diversified business groups, or how states organize big business
Rise of China and the global overaccumulation crisis
China's Private Enterprises in Africa and the Implications for African Development
Construction as a Springboard for Industrialisation
The politics of labour relations in global production networks
The rise and fall of (Chinese) African apparel exports
Variegated Capitalism, Chinese Style
Rethinking the Role of State-owned Enterprises in China’s Rise
Building Angola
Exploring the Human Capital Development Dimensions of Chinese Investments in Africa
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |