I. China topped the world in FDI

China was the world's largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2020, as flows rose by 4 percent to $163 billion, a recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) showed. It was followed by the United States.

High-tech industries in China saw an increase of 11 percent in 2020, and cross-border M&A rose by 54 percent, mostly in the information and communications technology and pharmaceutical industries.

"The 2020 investment numbers underline China's move toward the center of a global economy long dominated by the US - a shift accelerated during the pandemic as China has cemented its position as the world's factory floor and expanded its share of global trade," the WSJ wrote.