What Have We Learnt of Joint Ventures in the Internationalization Process of Chinese Multinationals (MNCs)? Evidence from Central Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the specific role of joint ventures and other strategic alliances in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) carried out by Chinese Multinationals Corporations in Central Africa. After exploring the extent to which the use of Sino‑Western joint ventures has helped Chinese firms to improve their technical and managerial skills both in domestic and foreign markets, the focus shifts to Central African countries members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The result is that joint ventures have become a major vehicle for Chinese multinationals firms to channel FDI, thus supporting the hypothesis that in the region under study this strategy allows them to guarantee the supply of raw materials (oil and mining products: copper, cobalt, gold, diamond,..), as part of a “package deals” linking FDI, Chinese Aid and Trade, also known as “Angolan model”; to conquer foreign markets (for technology and manufactured goods “Made in China”) and; to a lesser extent, to acquire strategic assets (brands, technological innovation, managerial skills).The commitment of Chinese stateowned MNCs through the “package deals” appears to be the keystone of stability and sustainability of Chinese FDI in Central Africa and in the continent In conclusion, the expectation is that the flow of Chinese FDI to Central Africa, should contribute to the process of sustainable development in recipient countries, provided that adequate political and economic governance is guaranteed. A pre‑requisite is to achieve institutional change, from a rent‑seeking to a developmental behavior at the state level, the result being an enhanced capacity to promote engineering potential, through the strengthening of human capital, and to negotiate transfer of technology and know‑how, with emerging countries partners, especially BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa)