ABSTRACT
In spite of the extensive contribution of Chinese capital to the development of the Southeast Asian economies, only since the early 1990s has there been growing interest on the operations of such ethnically-owned enterprises. The burgeoning interest in Chinese companies has coincided with increasing focus on the business opportunities available in mainland China. In view of the huge investments flowing into China, ostensibly from ethnic Chinese businessmen in Southeast Asia, as well as those from East Asia, particularly from Taiwan and Hong Kong, it is now widely believed that many Chinese enterprises are collaborating in business ventures. Moreover, given the apparent collective economic strength of Chinese-owned enterprises in East and Southeast Asia, it is now widely presumed that Chinese capital will have an enormous impact of on the global economy in the 21st century. Following the financial crisis that erupted in Asia in mid-1997, a number of analysts have also begun to predict that ethnic Chinese businessmen in this region will emerge potentially stronger, reinforcing their prospects as a global economic force.
