Emerging countries MNCs: the case of Chinese investments in Japan
Résumé
A number of cases mentioned in the economic press suggest that it became quite frequent for Multinational firms from emerging countries to invest and set up subsidiaries in developed ones when trying to enter these markets. Based on the cases of Chinese firms investing in Japan, this paper investigates the nature of investments, Greenfield versus M&A (Merger & Acquisition), and the motives of both parties, Chinese firms as Japanese ones. We wonder whether, beyond the common fear of predatory behaviors, potential alliances and joint business developments may arise from reciprocal asymmetries of the firms involved. These asymmetries, however, although often regarded as weaknesses, these asymmetries, either for the Chinese firms, because of their origin, and for the Japanese firms, because of financial distress or other reasons to be identified, may lead to a positive outcome. Based on a sample of more than one hundred cases, the paper tries to investigate such issues. Data have been collected from various sources from Japan such as MARR (Merger and Acquisition annual survey of Recof Data Corporation) various editions, Nikkei Telecom Data Basis, Nikkei Asian Review, and so on. Data are then collected in a qualitative approach and then treated in both qualitative and quantitative perspectives.