Sustainability Impacts of Chinese Outward Direct Investment: A review of the literature

This document is a summary of a literature review conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to analyze the sustainability impacts of Chinese Outward Direct Investment (ODI). The study aims to support the project "Promoting Sustainable Development of Chinese Enterprises for ‘Going Out’" by providing a balanced view of the impacts of Chinese companies overseas and identifying strategies to improve outcomes.

• Chinese Outward Direct Investment (ODI) experienced rapid growth starting in 2004, reaching a flow of USD 123.1 billion in 2014.
• The literature review analyzed 384 papers sourced from academic databases, think tanks, international organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and newspapers, consisting of 262 English, 83 Chinese, and 39 Spanish language documents.

APA

Wang,, M. H. W. Z. Y. O. V. Z. (2016). Sustainability Impacts of Chinese Outward Direct Investment: A review of the literature. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-impacts-chinese-outward-direct-investment-review-literature

Chicago

Wang,, Mark Halle,Yuan Wang,Simon Zadek,Kelly Yu,Samuel Ortiz Velasquez,Lin Zhang,Hanjie. Sustainability Impacts of Chinese Outward Direct Investment: A review of the literature. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2016. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-impacts-chinese-outward-direct-investment-review-literature.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wang, |first1=Mark Halle,Yuan Wang,Simon Zadek,Kelly Yu,Samuel Ortiz Velasquez,Lin Zhang,Hanjie |title=Sustainability Impacts of Chinese Outward Direct Investment: A review of the literature |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=10 February 2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-impacts-chinese-outward-direct-investment-review-literature |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wang2016sustainability, author = {Wang,, Mark Halle,Yuan Wang,Simon Zadek,Kelly Yu,Samuel Ortiz Velasquez,Lin Zhang,Hanjie}, title = {{Sustainability Impacts of Chinese Outward Direct Investment: A review of the literature}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-impacts-chinese-outward-direct-investment-review-literature}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }