Foreign direct investments security

Chinese Interest in US Firms Drives Case Surge for Watchdog Panel

Chinese interest in American companies continues to increase the caseload examined by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), according to the panel’s annual report to Congress.

CFIUS examines deals that involve foreign investments in US assets for their national security implications. In its latest report on Feb. 19, the total cases CFIUS covered jumped to 358 for the three year period 2012–2014, up from 322 from 2011–2013 and 318 from 2010–2012.

China had the most cases reviewed with 68, an increase of 26 percent from the previous year’s totals, ahead of the United Kingdom’s 45, Canada’s 40, and Japan’s 37, according to the new figures. From 2011-2013, those four countries represented 54, 49, 34 and 34 cases, respectively. In the previous year’s report, the UK ranked first with 68 cases, followed by China’s 39, Canada’s 31 and France’s 28.