Between 2000 and 2016, the Asian giant has invested over 101,000 million euros-about 121,000 million dollars in Europe in the form of foreign direct investment, according to the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics, for its acronym in English).
Research carried out by Merics, an organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Berlin, revealed that the most attractive for Chinese investors European countries were the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Finland and Portugal.
According Merics, the sectors that have experienced the fastest growth rates of investments have been utilities, transportation and infrastructure, machinery and industrial equipment, energy, business, consumer goods and services.
Increasing inflows in these sectors in 2016 was 15% compared with 2013-2015.
- The leading countries have a preference for China
According to the study, in 2016, foreign direct investment (FDI, for its acronym in English) of the Asian giant in the world reached 220.000 million, 9.5% of global market segment.
Merics According to analysts, the expansion of Chinese-funded concern not only their foreign partners, but also to the proper authorities of the Asian country. This could explain the radical and hasty restrictive measures taken by the Chinese government in this area in recent months.
In 2016, 59% of Chinese FDI in Europe focused on three regional leaders: France, Germany and the UK. The second place was occupied by the Nordic countries, which received about 27% of the FDI of China.
The nations of southern Europe remained in third place with about 10% of such investments.
Mikhail Beliaev, an analyst at the Russian Institute for Stock Market and Management, told Sputnik that the trend is completely understandable.
"Chinese investments are directed towards the largest and most promising economies. That is, go where China needs to consolidate. They go to those countries leading Europe", Beliaev said.
As regards the nations of northern Europe, the expert considered that, although these countries do not have such a strong economic impact are interesting to Beijing in geopolitical terms. 
In addition, these territories have a stable economic situation, a good investment climate and significant political weight.
Beliaev considered that the countries of southern Europe are a special case, since investments are riskier beyond. However, he stressed that where there is more risk, there are also more opportunities for big profits.
"Currently, this region is in a complicated situation, but this does not mean that countries will be in the same position tomorrow.
We see that Spain is showing high growth rates. It is not excluded that Italy overcome its difficulties. The situation in Greece is slightly negative, but, however, it is also a good springboard "said Beliaev.
- Building a strong image
Thus, Beijing has become the largest investor in Europe.
In 2016, the European continent for the first time surpassed the United States in the list of asset purchases by Chinese companies in the market for mergers and acquisitions.
You try Dmitri, market analyst, he said in an interview with Sputnik the phenomenon observed in Chinese economic relations.
"I think in Europe the conditions to attract capital are more liberal than in the United States. Hence the impressive progress of China to Europe is likely that EU leaders just do not look at this process as closely as they do in the US" You try considered.
The analyst said it is important to note that the EU itself puts pressure on China, but rather in terms of admission of products manufactured in China to market the continent. Moreover, they do so to a lesser extent in paragraph mergers and acquisitions.
- The reason behind the purchase of foreign assets
According to Zhang Ning, an expert at the Center for Economics and Finance of the Academy of Social Sciences of China, the devaluation of the yuan has been one of the main responsible for bringing Chinese investors to step up buying assets abroad.
Zhang stressed that, between 2015 and 2016, volumes and growth rates of foreign investment in China grew rapidly not only in Europe but also in the United States.
You may be interested: Again !: China overtook the United States in ...
"One reason [the increase of China's FDI] was the volatility of currency exchange. The trend of devaluation of the yuan was relatively obvious, especially since 11 August 2015 when the exchange rate of Chinese currency collapsed, "said Zhang.
Furthermore, as the practice of "production capacity, reduce inventory and shorten leverage" intensified, the lucrative space a large number of traditional industries decreased so extreme.
In these circumstances, many companies chose to return to investment abroad.
- Germany, the most attractive country for China
In 2016, the activity of Chinese companies in Germany broke all records.
According to consultancy Ernst & Young, the Chinese Capital acquired 68 German companies, ie 29 more than in 2015.
The most important business, from the point of view of the national interests of Germany, was the acquisition of Kuka industrial robot maker for $ 4.7 million. This has been the biggest deal in China Germanic lands.
In 2016, Germany led for the first time the list of markets for mergers and acquisitions more attractive for China in terms of number of purchased companies.
Secondly the UK was positioned, with 47 acquisitions.
In the third and fourth places, France and Italy with 34 companies each.
By comparison, 10 years ago, in 2007, Chinese investors 'took over' in Europe of only 51 companies.
However, in terms of volume of Chinese investments, Switzerland overtook Germany and clinched the first place.
That's because the agreement for the acquisition of the Swiss company Syngenta by ChemChina amounting to 45,800 million.
Germany was second, with a total of 12.600 million, and the UK in third place with 9.600 million.
You may be interested: Five ambitious projects in China to 'shake' the global economy
