China M&A bankers brace for another grim year

Washington turned more hostile to Chinese purchases of US assets after Donald Trump gained the presidency, and since has become only more strict.

You’d expect the world’s second-largest economy to have a bigger presence on the world stage. But in mergers and acquisitions, China’s presence has been shrinking for years, and 2020 is unlikely to be any better.

In 2016, the country was the world’s largest acquirer of overseas assets after the US. It tumbled to eighth place this year, trailing Japan and even Singapore, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. While the phase-one trade deal between Washington and Beijing may ease some tensions, frosty relations between China and many developed countries appear set to persist.