"Chinese companies are more likely to buy firms in the United States to acquire their technological know-how, while they buy European companies to secure brand names."

Lawrence Chia, head of Deloitte China M&A Services and co-chairman of Deloitte Global Chinese Services Group, says despite the fact that the Chinese economy is undergoing changes as it looks to shift from an export-led growth model to domestic consumption, industry experts from around the world expect Chinese overseas investments to continue to grow.

"The eurozone crisis is very complex. The situation in the US is not much better. But if you look at it this way, the less we invest in Europe, the more we can invest in China."

Jean-Louis Chaussade, CEO of the French utility company Suez Environnement, says the company is expanding rapidly in China and will establish two to three new joint ventures every year. It now has 27.

"The weak global economy has provided Chinese companies a good chance to purchase foreign assets in order to expand their overseas businesses."

Lin Boqiang, director of the Xiamen-based China Center for Energy Economics Research, says the timing is right for overseas acquisitions, especially in the high-capital energy industry.

(China Daily 01/11/2013 page14)