The issue is straightforward enough, even if few countries have ever had to deal with it on this scale before: thanks primarily to its thriving export industries, China has $1.4 trillion (and counting) in its pocket, and has to put it somewhere. For years, the investment of choice has been the drab solidity of U.S. Treasury bonds. But as the dollar drops, and higher returns can be gained elsewhere, China has begun to eye more alluring places to stash some of its cash. On July 23, Beijing made its boldest investment play yet. The China Development Bank (CDB), a huge, state-owned institution that until recently has focused on making large, subsidized loans for infrastructure projects, typically in the country's poorest regions, is plunging into the middle of a takeover fight for one of Europe's biggest and most venerable banks. Teaming up with Singapore's state-owned investment vehicle, Temasek — which will invest an initial $1.9 billion — CDB will fork over $3 billion for a stake in Barclays, the British bank now locked in a struggle with a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to acquire Amsterdam-based ABN Amro. If Barclays' $94 billion cash-and-stock bid prevails against RBS's $98 billion offer, CDB will boost its stake in Barclays to $13.5 billion, making it by far the biggest Chinese offshore investment ever.
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