From China, With Investment

In 2014, after 5 years of rapid growth, annual foreign direct investment (FDI) by Chinese entities into the U.S. exceeded FDI by U.S. investors into China. This rise in FDI is due in part to recent increases in Chinese investment into U.S. technology startup companies.

Recently, surging investment by Chinese companies in U.S. research labs is yielding a fast-growing trove of patents, which is part of a larger push by China to mine America for ideas to help it shift from serving as the world's factory floor to becoming a driver of innovation. The recent Chinese National Patent Development Strategy highlights the country's plans through 2020, including seven strategic industries positioned for growth: biotechnology, alternative energy, clean energy vehicles, energy conservation, high-end equipment manufacturing, broadband infrastructure and high-end semiconductors. While investment in the U.S. is a well-known part of the Chinese geopolitical strategy, the U.S. federal