Data mining of news media narratives concerning Chinese investment in U.S.
This is data and code in progress for a study of media narratives about Chinese foreign direct investment in the U.S.
Policy Uncertainty and Chinese Direct Investment in the U.S.: A CrossDisciplinary Study of Media Narratives
Ka Zeng, Ph.D., Professor, Director of Asian Studies Program, Political Science Rob Wells, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Journalism Austin Wilkins, Graduate Student, Political Science
Purpose Statement
Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States (U.S.) has accelerated rapidly in recent years as the country transitions from being a major importer to a major exporter of capital. Chinese FDI in the U.S. has increased dramatically, from $356 million in 2007 to $29.4 billion in 2017 (Hanemann and Rosen 2018a). The expansion of Chinese investment has generated growing concerns about its political and economic implications and the threat posed to American national security, as seen in the enhanced Congressional scrutiny and strong reactions against a growing list of Chinese mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. Importantly, growing anxiety over Chinese investment in the U.S. is taking place against the backdrop of China’s unprecedented rise in the global economy. With China’s rise comes a threat it poses to U.S. global political and economic dominance, one fueled by the upsurge of nationalism in the United States. The rhetoric and public discourse under the Trump administration increasingly highlight the competitive challenge that China poses to the U.S. economy and the longterm strategic rivalries between the two countries (Farley 2018; Salam 2018). The escalating trade war between the two countries is visible evidence of this strain. Against this background, it has become particularly important and relevant for us to gain a better understanding of how the political environment in the United States affects Chinese FDI flows.
March 13, 2020