🇨🇳 Foreign ownership of Chinese brands
12.2% of the 395 Chinese brands with a controlling owner (48) are owned by a company headquartered outside China, most often in Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada. That ranks 55 of 94 countries analysed.
Which countries own them
| Owner headquartered in | Brands | Share of foreign-owned | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 29 | 60.4% | |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | 4 | 8.3% | |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 3 | 6.3% | |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 2 | 4.2% | |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2 | 4.2% | |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 2 | 4.2% | |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1 | 2.1% | |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 1 | 2.1% | |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 | 2.1% | |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 | 2.1% | |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 1 | 2.1% | |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 1 | 2.1% |
Largest foreign owners
| Owner | Headquarters | Chinese brands owned |
|---|---|---|
| Alibaba | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 13 |
| NetEase | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 10 |
| Canadian Solar | 🇨🇦 Canada | 2 |
| Jollibee Group | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 2 |
| PDD Holdings | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 2 |
| Shein | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 2 |
| Smoore | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 2 |
| Xinyi Solar | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 2 |
| AB InBev | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1 |
| AIA | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 1 |
Where foreign ownership is highest
Top-level categories with at least 5 Chinese brands that have a controlling owner.
| Category | Brands | Foreign-owned | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet & digital | 57 | 24 | 42.1% |
| Media & entertainment | 5 | 2 | 40% |
| Tobacco & nicotine | 5 | 2 | 40% |
| Energy | 19 | 4 | 21.1% |
| Restaurants & foodservice | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
| Finance & insurance | 53 | 8 | 15.1% |
| Apparel, footwear & accessories | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
| Home care | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
Examples
- 1688.com owned by Alibaba
- AIA China owned by AIA
- AliExpress owned by Alibaba
- Alibaba.com owned by Alibaba
- Amap owned by Alibaba
- Ancheng Property & Casualty Insurance owned by DB Insurance
- Aviva-COFCO Life owned by Aviva
- Biostime owned by H&H Group
- CGV China owned by CJ CGV
- CSI Solar owned by Canadian Solar
- Cainiao owned by Alibaba
- DBS Bank China owned by DBS
How this is computed
Of 403 Chinese brands recorded, 395 have a current controlling owner (outright or a stake of 50% or more, followed up to the ultimate parent). The other 8 are licensed, part-owned or lack a current owner and are left out. A brand is foreign-owned when that ultimate parent is headquartered in a different country from the brand's origin. Data as of . Method and ranking for all countries.
Coverage caveat. The brands tracked skew towards those held by large filing companies, so this overstates foreign ownership relative to every brand in the country. See also the China country page.