Economic network dynamics: a structural analysis of the international connectivity of Chinese manufacturing firms

Purpose This paper explores international trade of the Chinese manufacturing industries through lenses network analysis (NA) to visualise world economy, describe its topology and better explain organisation industries. Design/methodology/approach The authors built a dataset 40,550 companies their 107,026 subsidiaries in 118 countries from Orbis-BVD used NA investigate connection between China other countries. In particular, studied connections order build Findings found that is ramified but not wide it can be divided into two clusters. Moreover, relations peripheral are strongly mediated by few leading locations (e.g. Hong Kong USA). Originality/value contributes literature several ways. First, provide empirical evidence on magnitude ramifications enterprises world. existing studies generally focus applying sectoral insights (Mao Yang, 2012; Shaikh et al. , 2016; Zheng Wanzenbö ck, 2018; Krichene 2019), whereas this work take comprehensive view entire system. Second, complements identifying difference cluster levels (Wu Jiang, 2011) proposing centralisation method analyse firms rather than just national network. Finally, results also shed light relationship China, USA.