Chinese companies snapping up overseas brands

Chinese firms investing overseas are increasingly buying businesses with technology, brands and know-how as they move up the value chain and counter falling margins at home, private equity fund A Capital said.

Europe, the top destination for Chinese investment last year, will remain attractive due to moderate valuations, the absence of regulatory hurdles and the "strategic match" with areas of interest to China such as services, A Capital, which is based in Brussels and Beijing and backed by China's sovereign wealth fund, said in a report on Tuesday.