This casebook makes a timely and important contribution to the study of Chinese outbound investment by adopting a case-based approach to an increasingly important topic. Using fifteen original case studies, the book introduces students to the wide range of legal, policy, and business issues that arise in the course of Chinese companies’ overseas expansion. In doing so, it fills a notable gap in Chinese studies and international business law pedagogy: it provides a rare textbook that treats Chinese outbound investment not as an abstraction, but as a set of lived transactions, disputes, and regulatory encounters unfolding across jurisdictions and sectors.

The book is organised into six thematic sections, each illuminating a distinct dimension of outbound investment.

The first section, ‘Corporations’, examines corporate structuring and market entry strategies. Through two case studies, students learn (i) how Chinese companies have employed innovative corporate devices to bypass domestic restrictions on foreign investment while accessing global capital markets; and (ii) how Chinese firms use local legal and financial advisors when acquiring foreign companies to enter overseas markets.

The second section, ‘Compliance’, turns to the challenges Chinese firms face in adapting to regulatory environments that differ significantly from those at home. The case studies illustrate how Chinese companies rely on local talent, local counsel, and strategic partnerships to address compliance dilemmas. They also demonstrate the combined use of litigation and lobbying to respond to host-country regulatory pressures.

‘Infrastructure’, the third section, presents three detailed examinations of Chinese-financed and Chinese-managed infrastructure projects. These case studies trace the establishment of major projects, the legal and political challenges encountered, and the social impacts on host-country communities. The authors show how Chinese experience travels with Chinese capital — both its strengths (speed, coordination, long-term financing) and its weaknesses (opacity, environmental controversies, governance gaps).

The fourth section, ‘Labor’, addresses labour practices in overseas Chinese projects. The case studies document troubling allegations of passport confiscation, unpaid wages, unsafe working conditions, and other labour abuses. Additionally, they discuss how affected workers resort to host-country courts, advocacy networks, and legal mobilisation to seek redress.

The fifth section, ‘Finance’, explores distinctive characteristics of Chinese financial arrangements. The case studies examine features such as preferential standing, limited transparency, lock-in provisions, and an emphasis on long-term strategic interests over short-term commercial gains. This section will be useful for students seeking to understand debates surrounding Chinese overseas lending practices and the political economy of development finance.

Finally, ‘Disputing’ addresses the range of legal conflicts that arise in outbound investment. The cases span environmental disputes, trade secret allegations, and concession terminations, and they showcase a variety of dispute resolution mechanisms: domestic court litigation, investment treaty arbitration, and participation in UN human rights mechanisms. The section underscores the multiplicity of legal tools available to Chinese corporations and their counterparties and highlights how disputes become arenas in which broader governance questions are contested.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its breadth. The case studies collectively capture the complex ecosystem surrounding Chinese outbound investment. The actors involved extend far beyond Chinese firms themselves. The Chinese Party-state, Chinese regulators, Chinese banks, host-country regulators, host-country labour, local communities, host-country courts, and civil society groups all play visible and consequential roles. This multi-actor framing ensures that students appreciate outbound investment as a negotiated and contested process rather than a unilateral economic expansion.

Geographically, the casebook spans a wide range of host countries, including Chile, Kenya, Brazil, the United States, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Oman, Saipan, Kyrgyzstan, Zambia, South Africa, Guinea, and Nigeria — reflecting the global reach of Chinese capital. Sectorally, it covers infrastructure, finance, retail, and internet technology, among others. The diversity of industries underscores that the legal challenges facing Chinese outbound investment are not uniform; rather, they are shaped by sector-specific regulatory frameworks, political sensitivities, and market structures. The result is a textured and comparative view of how Chinese firms operate in vastly different environments.

It is noteworthy that many contributors possess deep local knowledge of the jurisdictions they discuss. Many bring firsthand experience in transactions and negotiations. Others draw insights through interviews with participants. This practitioner-informed perspective enhances the credibility and realism of the materials and gives students insight into the practical factors that shape legal and business decision-making.

The pedagogical design further strengthens the book. Each case study includes discussion questions tailored separately to law school, policy school, and business school audiences. This tripartite structure broadens the book’s appeal and reflects the inherently interdisciplinary nature of outbound investment.

That said, the book’s breadth occasionally comes at the expense of depth. Because it targets multiple audiences and covers diverse sectors and jurisdictions, some case analyses remain introductory rather than theoretically exhaustive. Readers seeking a unified analytical framework or sustained doctrinal analysis may find the treatment selective. Yet this limitation appears deliberate and justified: as an entry-level text for Chinese studies and international business law, the casebook prioritises accessibility and exposure over theoretical consolidation.

A related question raised by the volume concerns case selection: why these particular cases? Although the introduction notes that ‘the cases were selected based on the significance of the issues they represent’, readers may still wonder why these specific cases were chosen to illustrate those underlying issues. Nevertheless, the selected cases effectively highlight the various friction points in Chinese outbound investment, as well as the role of local intermediaries and both domestic and international dispute settlement mechanisms in mitigating these tensions.

Ultimately, this casebook stands as a rare and valuable teaching resource in contemporary Chinese studies. At a time when Chinese outbound investment is becoming ever more politically salient and legally complex, the book provides students with grounded, fact-rich case materials that illuminate both structural patterns and real-world consequences. Its interdisciplinary design, geographic breadth, and practitioner-informed case studies make it a compelling addition to curricula in law, public policy, and business.