This figure is far from the cumulative total recorded by the Ministry of Economy in the same period, in which investment from China reached only 2,169.8 million dollars.
Enrique Dussel Peters, coordinator of CECHIMEX, said that it is not that someone is lying, it is about different methodologies, but they do show distant scenarios.
“My personal impression is that the public and private sectors are increasingly using the figures on the monitor when it suits them. This is if we want to look good and show that Chinese investments are high, and if we want to discuss it with Washington, which is concerned about the Chinese presence, then we use the official public figures,” he commented.
The specialist in Mexico-China relations highlighted that the Asian giant has strengthened its presence in the country for a decade and not in the last two years as is being seen.
“Moreover, if we compare the annual flows, in the last period 2020-2023 the OFDI flows carried out in the case of Mexico have even decreased contrary to what was expected,” he said.
In the period from 2015 to 2019, China’s investment in Mexico averaged US$2.571 billion per year, higher than the US$1.311 billion from 2020 to 2023.
Dussel Peters said that what is happening now is that there is pressure from the United States and Mexico is facing an “enormous” institutional weakness.
“This limited institutionality in Mexico allows for very poor discussion, and where the American pressures, specifically from Janet Yellen (Secretary of the Treasury), from the presidential candidates in the United States, seem to be rapidly having a very substantial impact, specifically on the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy, without debate, discussion, or even national awareness, then we began to close Chinese businesses.”
Monitoring of Chinese companies in Mexico is also beginning to take place, which is not done with other companies of other nationalities, which Dussle Peters describes as illegal according to the Foreign Direct Investment Law.
