Chinese FinTech firm to invest $113M in Luxembourg

Luxembourg has historically attracted foreign financial service firms looking to enter the European market. It's political and economic stability, as well as friendly regulations has made it the first choice of many businesses.

Now Chinese FinTech startup, Pingpong, has announced that over the coming years, it will invest €100 million ($113 million) in the country.

Hailing from the same hometown as Alibaba, Pingpong is backed by China's top investment bank, CICC. Essentially, it acts as a payment collector for Chinese exporters selling via the big e commerce platforms, such as Amazon, Wish, Shopee and 15 others around the world.

As part of its processes, it also clears local regulatory hurdles in order to receive payments. To this end, it will be applying for a banking licence in Luxembourg.

However, Luxembourg is just a stepping stone. Luo Yonglong, a partner at Pingpong, said that within three years, the company’s cumulative investment on the continent will exceed €6.39 billion or $7.21 billion.

China is slowly but surely strengthening its presence across the globe. While its capital is much welcomed, governments are becoming skeptical of the economic dependency their capital draws over time.

With Pingpong's operations setting up in Europe, the market will see increased e-commerce purchases being made from Chinese exporters. While this will give Amazon serious competition, it would affect the local SME businesses a lot more.

Will European governments keep check on Chinese capital influence on the continent's economy?