The role of Chinese investments in the bilateral exports of new EU member states and Western Balkan countries

This paper explores the economic relations between China and new E.U. member states and Western Balkan countries. China is an important trade partner for these countries, but in recent years the cooperation has been extended to include Chinese foreign direct investments (F.D.I.) inward investment. Using the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (P.P.M.L.) method to estimate a gravity model of bilateral trade, this study analysed the export flows of these countries as a function of total inward F.D.I. and Chinese F.D.I. as well. The results imply that F.D.I. inflows from China significantly increase the bilateral exports of the investigated countries, where F.D.I. has a greater impact on the exports of new E.U. member states than on Western Balkan countries.