The productivity spillover effect of foreign divestment: Evidence from Chinese industrial enterprises

Abstract

Foreign divestment in China is garnering increasing social attention. This study investigates the productivity spillover effects of foreign divestment based on Chinese industrial enterprise data from 2000 to 2007. Our findings indicate that foreign divestment negatively impacts the total factor productivity (TFP) of incumbent enterprises, especially through backward linkages. We examine potential mechanisms based on the characteristics of divested and incumbent enterprises. The closure of foreign-invested enterprise disrupts industrial connections, whereas the sale of foreign equity to domestic shareholders strengthens local industrial linkages, thus presenting an opposite effect. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (HMT)-invested enterprises tend to local sourcing, leading to divestment effects through backward linkages. Conversely, non-HMT enterprises, with a higher capability to provide differentiated intermediate goods, primarily exhibit forward linkage effects. Further analysis reveals that incumbent enterprises with lower technological capabilities are more dependent on their foreign suppliers and customers. Domestic non-state-owned enterprises and those in regions with lower economic development or marketization levels also have less stable input-output relationships. As a result, these enterprises are more susceptible to the vertical spillover effects of foreign divestment.