Outbound M&A deals hit new high

China's outbound deals reached a historic high in value in the first quarter of 2016, and listed companies have become the main force, according to a report from PwC.

A total of 115 Chinese outbound M&A deals were announced in the first quarter of 2016, with an overall value of $82.6 billion, eclipsing all previous annual figures.

This growth follows the positive trend in the volume of Chinese outbound M&A deals in 2015, which surged by 41 percent to 346, with a total value of $55.1 billion.