Chinese investment in the United States in 2016 more than tripled from 2015 to USD46 billion, with Chinese companies adding 1,300 new operations. They now employ over 140,000 people in the U.S., with companies increasing their presence in the South and Midwest “significantly”, according to ‘New Neighbors: 2017 Update’, a report on Chinese investment in U.S. congressional districts by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the Rhodium Group. Chinese investment flowed for the first time into 63 congressional districts last year to reach all but 10 of the nation’s 435 districts. “The data overwhelmingly suggests Chinese investment in the United States is complementary to the current administration’s focus on creating and protecting American jobs,” Committee President Stephen Orlins wrote in the report. “There is ample room for additional growth, if leaders on both sides can navigate the regulatory hurdles and political barriers between the world’s two largest markets.” New York City’s 12thcongressional district was the top recipient of Chinese FDI from 2000 to 2016, at USD8.66 billion. Rounding out the top five recipient districts were Chicago (USD3.8 billion); Raleigh, North Carolina (USD3.6 billion); Louisville, Kentucky (USD3.3 billion); and San Francisco (USD3.16 billion). The most jobs generated by a single Chinese investment in 2016 (6,020) were in Louisville, where Haier acquired GE Appliances for USD5.6 billion. Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) accounted for 96% of the total. In 2016, Chinese companies made 178 individual investments, increasing the total number of Chinese-owned businesses to 3,200 from 1,900 in 2015. The report found that Chinese investment in high-tech and innovation-intensive industries has grown rapidly in the last three years, increasing from USD2 billion in 2005 to roughly USD12 billion last year, the China Daily reports.