Chinese factories are moving abroad, driven by higher Western tariffs and weak demand at home, raising concerns about competition and labor practices.
Chinese companies are expanding their presence in the US, Europe, and other regions, making everything from appliances to automobiles.
However, many leaders worry that Chinese businesses are bringing China's brutal rat-race competition with them, potentially crushing local incumbents and curbing salaries.
Some Chinese companies have faced criticism for labor rights violations, including in Brazil and Hungary, where migrant workers were subject to slavery-like conditions.
Others have raised concerns about the environmental impacts of Chinese factories, such as in Hungary, where residents and environmental groups protested the arrival of CATL and other battery makers.
Despite these concerns, some policymakers believe that Chinese investments could help reinvigorate local manufacturing industries, as Japanese carmakers did in the US in the 1980s and 1990s.
However, analysts worry that Chinese manufacturers could gain access to lucrative consumer markets without generating as much local employment or economic value as the firms they threaten to replace.
The EU has launched a plan to require some products, including cars, to contain a certain share of European components to qualify for public procurement or support.
Chinese companies in sensitive sectors will need to commit to hiring locals for at least half their European staff, and pledge to transfer technology and buy European parts.
