Determinants of U.S. and Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in China

This paper examines the determinants of FDI from U.S. and Japan in China using the provincial data set from 1991 to 1997. The results of the regression analyses are further compared to those of the aggregated FDI as a benchmark case. The study found various similarities and differences in the importance and the magnitudes of the determinants of FDI among three FDI sources. It is shown that both level of GDP and the lagged GDP significantly affects inflow of FDI from all sources. The hypothesis that the good quality of infrastructure is conductive to attract FDI is strongly supported for all FDI sources, although the magnitude of the impact of the variable varies. The policy variables are also found to have significant positive effects on FDI. The labor quality exerts larger influence on Japanese FDI than on U.S. FDI, which may reflect the different structure for coordinating activities between U.S. and Japanese firms. The results for the wage variables are inconclusive. The study also shows the marginal support for the positive effect of cultural proximity between Japanese FDI and the provinces of Manchuria.