The exponential increase in Chinese investments abroad since the 2008 financial crisis, along with the idiosyncratic characteristics associated with Chinese investment, has led to policy debates in...Show moreThe exponential increase in Chinese investments abroad since the 2008 financial crisis, along with the idiosyncratic characteristics associated with Chinese investment, has led to policy debates in many developed economies around the world. This thesis conducts a discourse analysis of the policy debate on Chinese investments in key technologies in the European Union that started around 2016, led by the normative research question “Should the EU protect European key technologies from being acquired by Chinese entities through Foreign Direct Investment?". It analyses respectively the purpose of the actors involved (China and the EU); the (perceived) necessity of EU protection of key technologies from Chinese FDI; and the risks related to the protection of key technologies in the EU. In doing so, it provides an overview of the different discourses, building on theoretical insights from a wide range of literature: including on strategic thinking in the EU, and the drivers behind Chinese FDI for both firms and polities.Show less
