Media365
China’s global outbound direct investment surged to a seven-year high in 2025 as Chinese firms pivoted their capital towards strategic raw materials and data centres, according to a report by Rhodium Group released on Wednesday.
The latest China Cross-Border Monitor report found that Chinese firms announced US$124 billion of new outbound direct investment last year, an 18 per cent jump from 2024 and the highest level recorded since 2018. Completed deals also saw a robust 14 per cent increase to US$73 billion, signalling a steady recovery from pandemic-era lows.
Chinese firms’ newly announced investment in offshore manufacturing facilities fell across all regions except for North Africa last year, with a particularly significant drop in Central and Eastern Europe, the report said.
China’s official data showed that total outbound investment reached nearly US$174.4 billion in 2025, up 7.1 per cent year on year. Rhodium attributed the gap between its findings and the official figures to Chinese firms holding US dollars at overseas subsidiaries rather than converting them back into onshore yuan assets.
The report also highlighted a shift in China’s investment priorities away from the previously dominant automotive sector towards raw materials and energy.
