This report was edited based on a March 16th news report from China Daily.
As the global landscape undergoes changes unseen in a century, China’s overseas investments and international activities are expanding at unprecedented scale and complexity. From traditional energy and infrastructure projects to personnel security, digital assets, and regulatory rights, China’s footprint abroad now touches a wide spectrum of strategic interests.
By the end of 2024, Chinese companies had established more than 52,000 enterprises overseas, with total outward direct investment reaching $3.13 trillion. Protecting these interests is increasingly central to China’s national security framework and global economic engagement.
Rising Risks in a Complex World
The resurgence of unilateralism, protectionism, and geopolitical tensions poses direct challenges to the security of international operations. Military interventions, economic sanctions, and political interference have made the global environment more unpredictable, demanding more robust safeguards for foreign assets and personnel.
China’s approach emphasizes shared security and cooperative solutions, moving beyond zero-sum or hegemonic frameworks. Instead of pursuing narrow national advantage, China promotes multilateral collaboration to ensure mutual benefit and collective protection for overseas investments.
Practical Measures and Regional Cooperation
China has already seen tangible results through regional partnerships:
Africa: Over 2,000 China-Africa cooperation projects have generated more than $400 billion in turnover from completed projects. Chinese firms have signed engineering contracts exceeding $700 billion, creating jobs and contributing to local economic development.
Latin America: Belt and Road agreements with 24 countries have expanded investment to $567.7 billion, with trade growing from $261.3 billion in 2013 to $518.4 billion in 2024, promoting interdependent economic ties.
Central Asia: Security and economic cooperation support major infrastructure projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, demonstrating practical value in shared security frameworks.
Challenges Ahead
Despite progress, China faces significant hurdles in safeguarding overseas interests:
Limited Coordination: Current mechanisms lack a unified top-level design. Overlapping responsibilities and fragmented authority hinder rapid and effective responses to crises.
Insufficient Collective Protection: Existing bilateral frameworks are vulnerable to political change in host countries. Multilateral risk-sharing platforms remain underdeveloped.
Fragmented Resource Integration: Protection involves government, businesses, social organizations, and overseas communities. Weak coordination limits overall effectiveness.
Building a Stronger Framework
To address these challenges, China is expected to develop an integrated protection system combining:
Multilateral Cooperation: Regional mechanisms for collective protection and risk-sharing to counter unilateral interference.
Government-Business-Society Coordination: Aligning efforts across sectors to create a cohesive operational framework, balancing routine management and emergency response.
Institutional Innovation: Continuing to explore regulatory and operational models that ensure security, while facilitating investment and trade.
Toward Shared Security and Sustainable Cooperation
Anchored in the principles of common security and shared development, China aims to safeguard its overseas investments while fostering deeper international cooperation. A robust system for protecting overseas interests will underpin Belt and Road initiatives, support Chinese modernization goals, and contribute to building a global community with shared prosperity.
By strengthening mechanisms for risk management, coordination, and multilateral collaboration, China seeks to ensure that its overseas ventures are both secure and sustainable, benefiting host countries and reinforcing global economic interdependence.