FRANKFURT/LONDON -- Chinese semiconductor companies looking to expand through acquisitions in Europe face an increasingly chilly reception from regulators wary of state-driven investment.
The continent had been an attractive destination for Chinese players seeking to gain a foothold in supply chains in a leading market for electric vehicles. Direct investment in Europe by Chinese companies rebounded 34% in 2021 to 10.6 billion euros ($11.2 billion at current rates), with auto-related deals accounting for nearly a quarter, according to Germany's Mercator Institute for China Studies.
