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<article xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="http://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.1/xsd/JATS-journalpublishing1-mathml3.xsd" dtd-version="1.1" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">PBES</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>Proceedings of Business and Economic Studies</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn>2209-2641</issn><eissn>2209-265X</eissn><publisher><publisher-name>Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.26689/pbes.v2i1.722</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title>A Critique of Investment Protection of Chinaâ€™s Multinational Enterprises in Host ASEAN Nations â€“ A Survey of the Legal Requisites for Foreign Investors of Guangdong Corporations in Southeast Asian Nations</title><url>https://artdesignp.com/journal/PBES/2/1/10.26689/pbes.v2i1.722</url><author>KeJingjia</author><pub-date pub-type="publication-year"><year>2019</year></pub-date><volume>2</volume><issue>1</issue><history><date date-type="pub"><published-time>2019-02-28</published-time></date></history><abstract>Abstract: As a result of the development of the â€œOne Belt One Roadâ€ and â€œStepping-outâ€ strategy for multinational enterprises, Chinaâ€™s outward directed investments have grown rapidly. During the transformation period from a capital-importing country to a capital-exporting country, issues of insufficient investment protection laws on Chinaâ€™s outward investment have surfaced. To examine major investment risks, investment dispute settlement mechanisms, and legal barriers of Chinaâ€™s multinational enterprises in ASEAN States, this study selects typical state-owned enterprises and private companies among 300 Guangdong businesses, which invested in ASEAN via data analyses, surveys, and field studies. The findings of this research provide a reference for the investment protection and for the launching of investment litigation of these Chinese multinational enterprises whenever it is required.</abstract><keywords/></article-meta></front><body/><back><ref-list><ref id="B1" content-type="article"><label>1</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, (28th March, 2015), available at http://en.ndrc.gov.cn/newsrelease/201503/t20150330_669367.html</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B2" content-type="article"><label>2</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ministry of Commerce Peopleâ€™s Republic of China (MOFCOM), 2015 Report on Chinaâ€™s Outward Foreign Direct Investment in Cooperation and Development (translation added), (15 February 2016), available at fec.mofcom.gov.cn/article/tzhzcj/tzhz/upload/zgdwtzhzfzbg2015.pdf, last visited on 23 February 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B3" content-type="article"><label>3</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ibid Page 4.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B4" content-type="article"><label>4</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See HAN Bin and Wang Yongzhong, China Outward Investment Report third quarter of 2015 (translation added), pp30-31 (Beijing: China Social Science Press,2016 ).</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B5" content-type="article"><label>5</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Report on the development and status of â€œstepping-outâ€ of Guangdongâ€™s enterprises (translation added), issued by Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province in 2016.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B6" content-type="article"><label>6</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Karl P. Sauvant and Victor Z. Chen, â€˜Chinaâ€™s Regulatory Framework for outward Foreign Direct Investmentâ€™, 7 China Economy Journal 141(2013), 141-163.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B7" content-type="article"><label>7</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Except for China-Brunei BIT that signed on 17 November, 2000., nine BIT are in force, which are China-Singapore BIT (21 Nov. 1985), China-Malaysia (11 Dec. 1988), China-Philippines BIT (20 July 1992), China-Vietnam BITs (2 Dec. 1992), China-Laos BIT (31 Jan. 1993), China-Indonesia BIT (18 Nov. 1994), China-Cambodia BIT (19 July 1996), China-Myanmar BIT (12 Dec. 2001). See available at http://investmentpolicyhub.unctad.org/IIA/CountryBits/42.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B8" content-type="article"><label>8</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See Agreement on Investment of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between the PRC and ASEAN, http://fta.miti.gov.my/mitifta/resources/auto%20download%20images/558b8bd29bd01.pdf</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B9" content-type="article"><label>9</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jun Xiao, â€˜The ASEAN-China Investment Agreement A regionalization of Chinaâ€™s BITsâ€™, 6 Front. Law China 6 (2011) at 254.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B10" content-type="article"><label>10</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See WANG Yongzhong and LI Xichen, â€œFeatures and Risks of Chinaâ€™s Investment in the OBOR Countiesâ€ (translation added) HAN Bin and Wang Yongzhong (eds.), China Outward Investment Report third quarter of 2015, pp41-42 (Beijing: China Social Science Press, 2016).</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B11" content-type="article"><label>11</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>KE Jingjia, The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area: Neighbors, Relatives or Foes? 1 China and WTO Review 2 (2015) at 209.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B12" content-type="article"><label>12</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See note 11.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B13" content-type="article"><label>13</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>For details, see Article 1 of Agreement on Investment of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between ASEAN and China, available at http://fta.mofcom.gov.cn/inforimages/200908/20090817113007764.pdf, and Article 1.1 of BITs (P.R.C.-Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippine, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam) and Article 1.3 of China-Thailand BIT. Business concessions include contractual rights such as those under turnkey, construction or management contracts, production or revenue sharing contracts, concessions, or other similar contracts and can include investment funds for projects. See footnote 2 of the ASEAN-China Investment Agreement.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B14" content-type="article"><label>14</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 3(4) of Agreement on Investment and footnote to Article 1.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B15" content-type="article"><label>15</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See 2014 Administrative Measures for Overseas Investments, http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/article/b/c/201409/20140900723361.shtml.The proportion of shares in control or management of Chinese MNEs is 10 percent. For detail, see Article 2 of 2006 Statistical System of Foreign Direct Investment, in Chinese, hzs.mofcom.gov.cn/accessory/201102/1297930121981.pdf.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B16" content-type="article"><label>16</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>LI Wenfang, â€˜Guangken to list Thai rubber producerâ€™, China Daily, (28 November 2016), available at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2016-11/28/content_27500097.htm. Also see CHEN Min, â€˜Seizing opportunity and harvest the oversea investment-status and experiences of Guangken under the â€œstepping outâ€ policyâ€™ (translation added), 29 China Rubber (2013) at 18.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B17" content-type="article"><label>17</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>For detail please see companyâ€™s official website http://www.gdftc.com/en/about/about.asp?t=1 and 2016 short term financing report of Guangdong Guangxin Holding(translation added), available at https://shclearing.com/xxpl/fxpl/scp/201607/t20160728_170897.html.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B18" content-type="article"><label>18</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Huawei Annual Report 2015, http://www-file.huawei.com/~/media/CORPORATE/PDF/annual-report/AnnualReport2015_en.pdf?la=en.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B19" content-type="article"><label>19</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>The subsidiaries in Vietnam include Midea Consumer Electric (Vietnam) Co.LTD and Midea Air-Conditioning Equipment (Vietnam) Co. LTD, http://www.midea.com/global/about_midea/major_facilities/Overseas_Facilties/201403/t20140319_74645.shtml and, the Annual Report of Midea Group 2015, available at disclosure.szse.cn/finalpage/2016-03-26/1202084987.PDF.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B20" content-type="article"><label>20</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See introduction of the project from Country Garden Pacific Viewâ€™s profile, available at https://cgpvforestcity.wordpress.com/about/.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B21" content-type="article"><label>21</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Except for China-Myanmar BIT signing on December 12 2001, the rest of BITs between China and ASEAN members does not cover NT clauses. For more details, please see http://investmentpolicyhub.unctad.org/IIA/treaty/3272.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B22" content-type="article"><label>22</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>China-Switzerland FTA and China-Singapore FTA, does not contain investment rules. See China Ministry of Commerce website, available at http://fta.mofcom.gov.cn/topic/enpakistan.shtml (last visited on Dec. 2, 2016).</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B23" content-type="article"><label>23</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Xiao Jun, â€™the ASEAN-China Investment Agreement, A Regionalization of Chinaâ€™s BITsâ€™, FRONTIERS LAW. CHINA, 6 (2011) 2, at 249.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B24" content-type="article"><label>24</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 23 and 43 of Vietnam Law on Investment, 2014, Law No. 67/2014/QH13, November 26, 2014, available at http://www.xaydung.gov.vn/web/guest/legal-documents/-/legal/TB4r/en_US/18/250755/55213, last visited on 15 February 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B25" content-type="article"><label>25</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 22(3) (b) of the Vietnam Law on Investment 2014.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B26" content-type="article"><label>26</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 5 and 10 of the Law No. 25/2007 on Investment (Investment Law), available at http://www.flevin.com/id/lgso/translations/JICA%20Mirror/english/3002_UU_25_2007_e.html, last visited on 26 February 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B27" content-type="article"><label>27</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 8 of the ACIA.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B28" content-type="article"><label>28</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 46 of the ACIA.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B29" content-type="article"><label>29</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Issuing the Special Management Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access in Pilot Free Trade Zones, see http://www.lawinfochina.com/display.aspx?id=18995&amp;lib=law, last visited 28 February 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B30" content-type="article"><label>30</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 13 (1) of the Investment Agreement.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B31" content-type="article"><label>31</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 14 of the ASEAN-China Investment Agreement.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B32" content-type="article"><label>32</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 4 (3) of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism Agreement under the ACFTA.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B33" content-type="article"><label>33</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Section 4 of the Article 14 of the Investment Agreement.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B34" content-type="article"><label>34</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jun Xiao, â€˜the ASEAN-China Investment Agreement, A Regionalization of Chinaâ€™s BITsâ€™, FRONTIERS L. CHINA, 250, (2011) at pp241-58 The conditions for submitting to arbitration are that the submission of the disputes must be within three years of the time at which the investor becomes aware of a breach of an obligation under the Investment Agreement; a ninety days advance written notice to the host state shall be given by the disputing investor before submitting the claim to conciliation or arbitration.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B35" content-type="article"><label>35</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 14 (8) of ACIA.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B36" content-type="article"><label>36</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>OECD papers shown 21% of the treaties in the sample contain clauses restricting explicitly diplomatic efforts. See Pohl, J., K. Mashigo and A. Nohen (2012), â€˜Dispute Settlement Provisions in International Investment Agreements: A Large Sample Surveyâ€™, OECD Working Papers on International Investment, 02, (2012), OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5k8xb71nf628-en, last visited on 10 March 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B37" content-type="article"><label>37</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Except for China-Brunei BIT and China-Myanmar BIT, which are both signed after 2000, the rest of BITs between China and ASEAN States are signed in the period of 1980s to 1990s.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B38" content-type="article"><label>38</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>For discussion on generation of Chinaâ€™s BITs, please see Karl P. Sauvant and Michael D. Nolanï¼Œ â€˜Chinaâ€™s Outward FDI â€˜and International Investment Lawâ€™, 18 Journal of International Economic Law, (Nov. 2015) at 925.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B39" content-type="article"><label>39</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 10.2 of China-Philippine BIT and Article 7.4 of China -Malaysia BIT. China-Indonesia BIT.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B40" content-type="article"><label>40</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>BITs in this sections are Article 13.3 of China-Singapore BIT, Article 8.3 of China-Laos BIT, Article 9.3 of China-Indonesia BIT, Article 8.3 of China-Vietnam, in comparison with 1985 China-Thailand BIT, the parties of which did not grant the access to the ISD</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B41" content-type="article"><label>41</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 10.3 of BIT (China-Philippine).</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B42" content-type="article"><label>42</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 9.3 of BIT (China-Brunei).</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B43" content-type="article"><label>43</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 13.5 of BIT (China-Singapore) and Article 7.4 of BIT (China-Malaysia).</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B44" content-type="article"><label>44</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Karl P. Sauvant and Michael D. Nolan, 18â€™Chinaâ€™s Outward FDI and International Investment Lawâ€, Journal of International Economic Law,â€™ at 932.Also see SHAN Wenhua and et al. International Protection of Chinaâ€™s Outward Energy Investment- Survey and Regional Research (translation added) (Beijing: Tsinghua University Press 2014) at 46.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B45" content-type="article"><label>45</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Paragraph 10 of Government of the Lao Peopleâ€™s Democratic Republic v. Sanum Investments Ltd. [2015] SGHC 15, available at http://www.singaporelaw.sg/sglaw/laws-of-singapore/case-law/free-law/high-court-judgments/15860-government-of-the-lao-people-rsquo-s-democratic-republic-v-sanum-investments-ltd-2015-sghc-15</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B46" content-type="article"><label>46</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Paragraph 121-126 of Sanum v. Laos, [2015] SGHC 15.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B47" content-type="article"><label>47</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Sanum Investments Ltd v. Government of the Lao Peopleâ€™s Democratic Republic [2016] SGCA 57 available at http://www.supremecourt.gov.sg/docs/default-source/module-document/judgement/judgment-for-ca-139-167-of-2015-(final)-pdf.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B48" content-type="article"><label>48</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on October 21, 2016, available at http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1407743.shtml, last visited on 16 March 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B49" content-type="article"><label>49</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See Article 138 of the Macau Basic Law.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B50" content-type="article"><label>50</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Available at http://www.doj.gov.hk/eng/laws/table2ti.html, and JoÃ£o Santos Filipe, â€™Bilateral Investment Treaties Quandaryâ€™, 28Politics, (January, 2015) see http://macaubusinessdaily.com/Politics/Bilateral-Investment-Treaties-Quandary.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B51" content-type="article"><label>51</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See http://investmentpolicyhub.unctad.org/IIA/CountryBits/42, last visited on 16 February 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B52" content-type="article"><label>52</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See Huawei Annual Report 2015.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B53" content-type="article"><label>53</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See note 15, at 20.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B54" content-type="article"><label>54</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>ZHANG Lujin and XIE Wei, â€˜Chinaâ€™s investorsâ€™ choice of leaving Vietnam-haunting 72 hoursâ€™ (translation added), China Economic Weekly, (26 May 2014).</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B55" content-type="article"><label>55</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>See http://www.sinosure.com.cn/sinosure/english/English.html, last visited on 24 February 2017</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B56" content-type="article"><label>56</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>SHEN Wei, â€˜Liberalization and Pluralization of Chinaâ€™s protection standards in international investment treatiesâ€™ (translation added), 4Chinese Journal of Law (2015) Page 206.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B57" content-type="article"><label>57</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ten of these areas are included in this yearâ€™s ranking on the ease of doing business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.See World Bank Group, â€™Doing Business 2016-Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiencyâ€™, A World Bank Group Flagship Report, 2016, 13th edition. p5, available at espanol.doingbusiness.org/~/media/.../DoingBusiness/...Reports/.../DB16-Full-Report.pdf, last visited on 5 February 2017</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B58" content-type="article"><label>58</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Available at https://www.miga.org/who-we-are, last visited on 8 March 2017.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B59" content-type="article"><label>59</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Article 11 of the Convention Establishing the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B60" content-type="article"><label>60</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Wang Guiguo, â€˜Investor-State Dispute Settlement in Chinaâ€™, Transnational Dispute Management, 5 (2011) page 7.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B61" content-type="article"><label>61</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Karl P. 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