Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have been portrayed in some quarters as potential bad guys in global financial markets due to their supposed political as opposed to commercial intentions and influence. However, two key international developments during and since the 2008/2009 Global Financial Crisis have prompted some abatement in the hostility and mistrust displayed towards SWFs...

This paper examines how swiftly core characteristics of the global economy are changing and the implications for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Australia, especially FDI from China. The paper focuses on how state investment capital is an increasingly important strategic priority for governments, regulators, finance sector participants and other stakeholders. This is of the utmost...

Under Australia’s foreign investment review framework all foreign governments and their related entities should notify the federal government and gain approval before making a direct investment in Australia regardless of the value of that investment. Yet can Australia’s current policy settings be maintained in their current form given the pace and scale of change since...

This paper examines the nature of state capital, its increasing prevalence and impacts in the global economy, and the implications of current state capital trends for Australia. The paper classifies several key state capital actors and maps their scale, scope and investment strategies in both global and domestic Australian contexts. Finally, the paper focuses on...

It is clear that China has emerged as a key investment actor in the current global milieu. What is not so clear is why this is so. This paper adds an historical perspective to the state capital story by examining China’s trade and investment patterns through a longitudinal lens. The paper outlines the emergence of...