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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A view of Jinmao tower at the Pudong financial district in Shanghai, China.

China's overseas investments totaled $87.8 billion in 2012, up 17.6 per cent from 2011, making it the world's third-largest investor behind the US and Japan, according to Reuters. China, the fastest-growing economy in the globe, has been acquiring everything from car companies, oil giants to farmlands to feed its increasing demand.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest acquisitions carried out by Chinese companies in recent years.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A woman walks into the Nexen building in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Cnooc-Nexen deal

Total amount: $15.1 billion

Industry: Energy

Year: 2013

Cnooc, one of China's biggest oil companies, acquired Nexen, a Canadian oil giant, in February 2013 for $15.1 billion. The deal is China's biggest foreign acquisition.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
People cross a street in central Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation-KSG Agro

Total amount: $3 billion

Industry: Agriculture

Year: 2013

Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation, an economic and semi-military governmental organisation, has signed a deal to acquire three million hectares, or five per cent of Ukraine's total land, for about $3 billion. KSG Agro, a Ukrainian agricultural company, has partnered with the Chinese firm. The Ukraine government, meanwhile, denies selling three million hectares to Chinese firm.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
Al Waha Mall in Khartoum, Sudan.

China-Sudan

Total amount: N/A

Industry: Agriculture

Year: 2010

China signed a deal with the Sudanese government in 2010 to acquire 400,000 hectares of farmland to grow various crops. The amount is not known.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A view of Astana, Kazakhstan.

China National Petroleum Corporation-PetroKazakhstan

Total amount: $4.2 billion

Industry: Energy

Year: 2005

China National Petroleum Corporation, one of China's biggest energy companies, bought PetroKazakhstan, an oil major in Kazakhstan, for $4.2 billion in 2005.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A view of Morgan Stanley's headquarters in New York City.

China Investment Corporation-Morgan Stanley

Total amount: $5.6 billion

Industry: Banking

Year: 2007

China Investment Corporation, a Chinese sovereign wealth fund, acquired 9.9 per cent stake in Morgan Stanley, one of the world's biggest banks, for $5.6 billion in 2007.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
Rio Tinto's Shanghai Representative Office in Shanghai, China.

Aluminum Corporation-Rio Tinto

Total amount: $14.3 billion

Industry: Mining

Year: 2008

Aluminum Corporation, a Chinese company, acquired a 12 per cent stake in Rio Tinto, an Australian mining giant, for $14.3 billion in 2008.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in Beijing.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China-Standard Bank Group

Total amount: $5.5 billion

Industry: Banking

Year: 2008

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, one of the biggest banks in the country, bought a 20 per cent stake in Standard Bank Group, one of South Africa's financial institutions, for $5.5 billion in 2008.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
Customers walk out of Wing Lung Bank headquarters in Hong Kong.

China Merchants Bank-Wing Lung Bank

Total amount: $4.7 billion

Industry: Banking

Year: 2008

China Merchants Bank, the sixth-largest Chinese lender by assets at that time, acquired Wing Lung Bank, a Hong Kong-based bank, for $4.7 billion in 2008.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
Taxis wait to fill their tanks at a petrol pump in Suining, Sichuan province, China.

China Petrochemical Corporation-Addax Petroleum

Total amount: $7.3 billion

Industry: Energy

Year: 2009

China Petrochemical Corporation, a state-owned company, bought Addax Petroleum, a Swiss energy firm, for $7.3 billion in 2009.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A truck drives down a street at Syncrude's oil tar sands operation near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.

China Petrochemical-Syncrude Canada

Total amount: $4.7 billion

Industry: Energy

Year: 2010

China Petrochemical, Asia's largest oil refining and petrochemical enterprise, acquired a 9.3 per cent stake in Syncrude Canada, an oil and gas company based in Canada, for $4.7 billion in 2010.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
Sacyr Vallehermoso Tower is reflected on the Repsol office building in Madrid, Spain.

China Petrochemical-Repsol

Total amount: $7.1 billion

Industry: Energy

Year: 2010

China Petrochemical bought a 40 per cent stake in Repsol's Brazilian offshore-oil unit for $7.1 billion in 2010.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A petrol pump station in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China.

China Petrochemical-Petrogal Brasil

Total amount: $4.8 billion

Industry: Energy

Year: 2012

China Petrochemical acquired Brazilian company Petrogal Brasil for $4.8 billion in 2012 to feed its growing energy needs.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A view of the headquarters of IBM Japan in Tokyo.

Lenovo-IBM

Total amount: $1.75 billion

Industry: Personal computers

Year: 2004

Lenovo, the Chinese computer giant, bought personal computer business of IBM, the pioneer of PCs, for $1.75 billion in 2004.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
A Volvo V40 model on display in Geneva, Switzerland.

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group-Ford Motors

Total amount: $1.8 billion

Industry: Automobiles

Year: 2010

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese conglomerate based in Hangzhou, acquired Volvo from Ford, one of the world's biggest auto manufacturers, for $1.8 billion in 2010.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
AMC at Universal Studios Citywalk in Universal City, California.

Dalian Wanda Group-AMC Entertainment

Total amount: $2.6 billion

Industry: Entertainment

Year: 2012

Dalian Wanda Group, a Chinese conglomerate, acquired AMC Entertainment, a movie theatre chain based in the United States, for $2.6 billion in 2012.

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16 major foreign acquisitions made by Chinese companies

September 26, 2013 08:41 IST
Taste of Smithfield restaurant and gourmet market is seen in Smithfield, Virginia.

Shuanghui International Holdings-Smithfield Foods

Total amount: $4.72 billion

Industry: Food

Year: 2013

Shuanghui International Holdings, a Chinese company based in Hong Kong, acquired Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest hog and pork producer, for $4.72 billion in 2013.