China has been urged to adopt a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to safeguarding its growing overseas interests amid mounting geopolitical pressures and restrictions from Western countries. An analysis published last month on the Global Security Research social media account, which regularly features commentary on Chinese national security issues, called for a strategic shift that emphasizes prevention and cooperation over mere crisis management.
The unidentified author argued that Beijing needs to establish a “systematic, complete and highly coordinated overseas interests security protection system.” This would involve better integration of responsibilities across diplomatic, commercial, security, and military branches to create a unified national strategy.
The analysis highlighted the importance of reshaping international rules through diplomatic engagement, particularly in areas such as global security governance, investment, trade, and maritime regulations. It urged China to “actively participate in global security governance and improve rule systems” to better protect its interests.
Security cooperation with countries where China has investments, especially partners in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was also emphasized. The report suggested establishing joint mechanisms focused on law enforcement, counterterrorism, and combating transnational crime to safeguard Chinese businesses and personnel operating abroad.
By the end of last year, more than 50,000 Chinese companies were reported to be operating across 190 countries and regions. Data from China’s Ministry of Commerce showed outbound direct investment reached US$174.38 billion in 2025, marking a 7.1 percent increase from the previous year and maintaining China’s position among the world’s top three investors for nearly a decade.
However, the expanded global footprint has exposed Chinese enterprises to new risks beyond traditional security concerns. The analysis pointed to heightened legal compliance challenges, unpredictable policy shifts, and foreign sanctions as compounding threats that complicate effective responses.
A notable concern raised was the “growing politicisation” of Chinese investments, with some countries using national security frameworks as a pretext for protectionism and suppressing foreign enterprises. The statement appeared to refer indirectly to actions taken by the United States, noting a shift from competition based mainly on cost and service to a more adversarial environment marked by efforts from major powers “flipping the table.”
Recent examples underscore this trend. State-owned and private Chinese firms increasingly confront export controls, investment screenings, and financial sanctions abroad. This year, Panama assumed control of two container ports in the Panama Canal after its Supreme Court invalidated contracts previously held by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, citing unconstitutionality amid reported U.S. pressure.
In response, China has bolstered its legal framework to defend its overseas interests, most notably enacting the 2021 Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. The law permits Chinese authorities to penalize foreign entities that impose measures perceived as harmful to China’s sovereignty.
Moreover, resource nationalism in host countries has complicated Chinese investments, with Indonesia’s 2020 ban on raw nickel exports exemplifying challenges that require foreign firms to process minerals domestically.
The analysis’s call for deeper coordination and diplomatic engagement reflects Beijing’s recognition of the increasingly complex and contested landscape faced by its global economic and strategic activities.