Does FDI Enhance Economic Growth?: New Evidence from East Asia

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased rapidly in East Asian countries over the past two decades, and many studies find that it has significant linkages with economic growth. This paper examines the impacts of FDI in groups of 15 East Asian countries classified by level of economic development, using panel data analysis together with cointegration methods. The results show that favourable impacts of FDI on East Asian countries depend on complementary factors, particularly each host country's economic conditions such as levels of financial market development, institutional development, better governance, and appropriate macroeconomic policies. Furthermore, East Asian countries need to increase their investment in fundamental infrastructures, human capital development, and facilities for enhancing international trade and investment climate.