Inbound mergers and acquisitions market surges to record high in 2018

The amount of inbound mergers and acquisitions hit a record high in 2018, with foreign investors encouraged by the positive outlook for Chinese companies and loosened foreign investment rules, according to the latest report from global financial market data provider Refinitiv.

The total amount of overseas companies' M&A activities in China came to $56.1 billion in 2018, up 23.3 percent from a year earlier, enough to take it past the previous record of $55.6 billion set in 2015.

The United States was the most active investor in the Asia-Pacific region last year, with US companies completing $19.2 billion worth of M&A deals in the region. Meanwhile, US companies were responsible for 34.3 percent of the inbound investment amount registered in China last year.