Malcolm Moore
China Economic Review
A new poll shows the resistance of the Chinese to foreign investment from state companies. Except Singaporeans.
The Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, has been doing some polling in China.
It discovered that the resistance of some countries, such as the US and Australia, to Chinese takeovers is matched in China by a distrust of foreign investment.
Asked how they would feel if companies controlled by five different governments tried to buy a controlling stake in a major Chinese firm, the answer was clear.
A Singaporean takeover was the only takeover to win majority support, with 56% of respondents thinking that it would be a good thing.
That’s no surprise. Many Singaporeans can speak Mandarin, and there is plenty of shared culture between the two countries. And of course, there are plenty of similarities between the authoritarian, if nominally democratic Singaporean government and the Chinese government.