National security, UK-China relations and the legitimacy of Chinese investment

The deterioration of UK-China relations has propelled the legitimacy of Chinese investment into the spotlight. Within seven years the UK government's position has shifted from a 'Golden Era' to identifying China as "the biggest state-based threat to the UK's economic security" (Integrated Review, 2021). This tension is manifest in the ad hoc curtailing of Chinese investment in sectors like telecommunications and nuclear energy, the latest manifestation being the block of the sale of Newport Wafer Fab to Chinese-owned Nexperia on national security grounds after months of wrangling. Should the government ban Chinese investment in key strategic sectors? What can we learn from past examples of Chinese investment? In his talk, Shaowei will draw on a case study of Chinese acquisition in the UK and try to shed some light on these issues.

About the speaker

Shaowei He is a Professor of International Business at the University of Northampton. His research focuses on cross-border knowledge sharing, global value chain and firm legitimacy based on the phenomenon of Chinese overseas investment. His work has been published in leading international journals including Journal of World Business, Human Resource Management and Human Resource Management Review.

Shaowei led the China and Emerging Economies Centre of the university from 2016 to 2022. In that role he has advised a range of UK local authorities and businesses and contributed to stronger regional collaboration between the UK and China.

Registration

This event is open to the public and free to attend, however registration is required. Complete our form to register. Please note that this seminar is taking place on campus and will not be recorded or live-streamed.

Chair: Dr Huan Zou (School of Finance and Management, SOAS University of London)

Organiser: SOAS China Institute

Contact email: sci@soas.ac.uk

Photo credit: Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash