While the U.S.-China trade war has been getting the headlines, investors from China are running into resistance in countries around the world, including the United States. Typically, governments welcome foreign investment, especially local governments, as a mechanism to create—or save—jobs, reinvigorate their economies and gain access to new technologies. Growing investment outflows from China, however, are pushing some national governments to take a more skeptical look at Chinese money.

In a measure aimed primarily at China, Congress strengthened the ability of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, to review and block transactions that might threaten national security. Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and other European countries are mulling similar measures to increase scrutiny of Chinese investors. While protecting national security is the nominal excuse for these actions, other concerns lurk behind the scenes