The Great Debate UK

from The Great Debate:

China Inc. takes stock after overseas buying spree

-- Wei Gu is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are her own --

Abundant liquidity, government support and a strong yuan fueled Chinese companies' overseas buying spree.

But since they went out at the peak of the market and did not have a clear strategy for acquisitions, it should come as no surprise that most of those deals have turned sour. Once bitten, twice shy.

Crisis-ridden companies around the world are hoping that cash-rich Chinese buyers will come to their rescue, but the Chinese are not eager after getting their fingers burnt.

Chinese regulators are now giving more scrutiny to foreign deals, forcing interested buyers to lay out the most pessimistic scenario when seeking their approval.

Bankers said Beijing is skeptical about buying everything except resources, which is seen as important to China's strategic interest and involves few integration challenges.

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