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  • Home
  • About RSIS
      • Introduction
      • Building the Foundations
      • Welcome Message
      • Board of Governors
      • Staff Profiles
        • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
        • Dean’s Office
        • Management
        • Distinguished Fellows
        • Faculty and Research
        • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
        • Visiting Fellows
        • Adjunct Fellows
        • Administrative Staff
      • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
      • RSIS Endowment Fund
      • Endowed Professorships
      • Career Opportunities
      • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
      • Research Centres
        • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
        • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
        • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
        • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
        • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      • Research Programmes
        • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
        • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      • [email protected] Newsletter
      • Other Research
        • Future Issues And Technology (FIT)
        • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      • Graduate Programmes Office
      • Overview
      • MSc (Asian Studies)
      • MSc (International Political Economy)
      • MSc (International Relations)
      • MSc (Strategic Studies)
      • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
      • PhD Programme
      • Exchange Partners and Programmes
      • How to Apply
      • Financial Assistance
      • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
      • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
      • Alumni
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
      • SRP Executive Programme
      • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
      • RSIS Publications
        • Annual Reviews
        • Books
        • Bulletins and Newsletters
        • Commentaries
        • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
        • Commemorative / Event Reports
        • IDSS Paper
        • Interreligious Relations
        • Monographs
        • NTS Insight
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • RSIS Publications for the Year
      • Glossary of Abbreviations
      • External Publications
        • Authored Books
        • Journal Articles
        • Edited Books
        • Chapters in Edited Books
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • Op-Eds
        • External Publications for the Year
      • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
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    • RSIS
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    • Improving Reputation BIT by BIT: Bilateral Investment Treaties and Foreign Accountability – International Interactions
    • Authored Books
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    Improving Reputation BIT by BIT: Bilateral Investment Treaties and Foreign Accountability – International Interactions
    by Noel P. Johnston and Chia-yi Lee

    12 January 2016

    The literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) has paid an increasing interest to international institutions such as bilateral investment treaties (BITs), but whether BITs help attract FDI is an unsettled question. Building on the existing literature, this article argues that BITs can change investors’ perceptions and the corresponding investment they make because signing BITs signals the involvement of another powerful country which is able to compel the host government to comply. This implies that the effect of BITs is not constant across signee countries: BITs are effective only when they are signed with rich and influential countries. Using FDI data and data on investor risk assessments, this article finds that BITs signed with OECD countries that provide official development assistance lead to an increase in FDI inflows (both from these signee countries and from other countries) and a reduction in the risk rating. BITs signed with other countries, despite in a larger quantity, have no influence on investor perceptions or FDI inflows

    Categories: Journal Articles
    Source: Taylor & Francis Online
    Citation:

    Lee, Chia-yi and Noel P. Johnston. 2016. “Improving Reputation BIT by BIT: Bilateral Investment Treaties and Foreign Accountability.” International Interactions 42 (3): 429–451.

    Last updated on 17/04/2018

    The literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) has paid an increasing interest to international institutions such as bilateral investment treaties (BITs), but whether BITs help attract FDI is an unsettled question. Building on the existing literature, this article argues that BITs can change investors’ perceptions and the corresponding investment they make because signing BITs signals the involvement of another powerful country which is able to compel the host government to comply. This implies that the effect of BITs is not constant across signee countries: BITs are effective only when they are signed with rich and influential countries. Using FDI data and data on investor risk assessments, this article finds that BITs signed with OECD countries that provide official development assistance lead to an increase in FDI inflows (both from these signee countries and from other countries) and a reduction in the risk rating. BITs signed with other countries, despite in a larger quantity, have no influence on investor perceptions or FDI inflows

    Categories: Journal Articles
    Source: Taylor & Francis Online
    Citation:

    Lee, Chia-yi and Noel P. Johnston. 2016. “Improving Reputation BIT by BIT: Bilateral Investment Treaties and Foreign Accountability.” International Interactions 42 (3): 429–451.

    Last updated on 17/04/2018

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    Latest Book
    Improving Reputation BIT by BIT: Bilateral Investment Treaties and Foreign Accountability – International Interactions
    The literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) has paid an increasing interest to international institutions such as bilateral investment treaties (BITs), but whether ...
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