Against the backdrop of shrinking outbound investments around the world, China's outbound investments are increasing. China has now become the world's third largest investor, after the United States and Japan
Many Chinese companies, with massive amounts of cash in hand, think the time is ripe to expand overseas after the financial crisis roiled the world and led to fire sale prices of some cash-strapped foreign companies
As of the end of 2012, China's accumulated outward FDI stock volume stood at $531.94 billion, the 13th largest in the world. China's outward FDI grew 41.6 percent annually between 2002 and 2012. The government has set a goal of increasing outward FDI at an average annual rate of 17 percent through 2015, when it is forecast to reach $150 billion. Chinese investors have established about 22,000 overseas enterprises in 179 countries and regions