China’s overseas investment hits record US$214 billion. Why are US-bound flows plunging?
China's outbound direct investment reached a record US$214 billion last year, marking an 11.1% increase from the previous year and positioning China as the world's second-largest source of global capital. This surge in overseas investment occurred concurrently with a significant decline in Chinese investment into the United States, which fell to its lowest point in over a decade.

Briefing Summary
AI-generatedChina's outbound direct investment reached a record US$214 billion last year, marking an 11.1% increase from the previous year and positioning China as the world's second-largest source of global capital. This surge in overseas investment occurred concurrently with a significant decline in Chinese investment into the United States, which fell to its lowest point in over a decade. This drop in US-bound flows is attributed to increasing geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty. The data was released in an annual report by the Ministry of Commerce and two other state economic bodies.
Article analysis
Model · rule-basedKey claims
4 extractedChina is the world's second-largest source of global capital.
Outbound direct investment was up 11.1 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year.
China's outbound direct investment reached a record high of US$214 billion last year.
Investment in the United States plunged to its lowest level in over a decade.