Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Kultur-, Sozial- und Bildungswissenschaftliche Fakultät - Institut für Asien- und Afrikawissenschaften

This lecture is part of this spring term's BCCN Lecture Series: China in the Global Political Economy.

Abstract

China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are evolving from contractors into operators, investors, and owners of infrastructure worldwide. Since the 1990s, Chinese SOEs have become well-known as commercial contractors responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of large-scale projects—from ports to railways to stadiums. China’s policy banks supported their international expansion with instruments including export buyers’ credits and concessional loans, and they worked primarily with government clients. How has Chinese SOEs’ role in overseas infrastructure development evolved, and what are the implications for both SOEs and international stakeholders? Three trends are evident today: Chinese SOEs are increasingly diversifying their project types to include public-private-partnerships (PPP) and investments, pursuing more small- and medium-scale infrastructure deals, and partnering with new international actors like international non-governmental organizations (INGOs). National governments, foreign firms, Chinese policy banks and Chinese SOEs themselves are driving this shift. These trends highlight the changing nature of Chinese SOE business overseas and its real-world implications.
 

Bio

Wendy Leutert (Ph.D. Cornell, 2017) is Assistant Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. Her research examines China’s politics and economy, with a specific focus on the reform and global expansion of Chinese state-owned enterprises. Her book, Chinese State-Owned Enterprises: Leadership, Reform, and Internationalization, was published in November 2024 by Cambridge University Press. 

For participation, please register here.