Overseas Land Investment in a Transitioning World: A Systematic Review from 2008 to 2026 with a Focus on Carbon-Neutrality Challenges and China’s Strategic Pathways

Abstract

Overseas land investment has emerged as one of the most complex human–environment system challenges of the twenty-first century, yet its evolving role under global carbon-neutrality targets remains theoretically under-specified. This study conducts a systematic literature review and bibliometrically assisted analysis of 145 English and 38 Chinese publications (2008–2026) to map the intellectual landscape, identify divergent research priorities, and examine the implications of carbon-credit-based land investment. Our analysis reveals three distinct evolutionary phases, extending from conceptual emergence and mechanism analysis to interdisciplinary expansion. It also identifies three parallel divergences between Chinese- and English-language research: contrasting research stances, thematic priorities, and governance imaginaries. These divergences are rooted in China’s transitional position within a Western-dominated discourse system. The findings suggest that China’s transition from rule adaptation to active governance participation is important, and that priority pathways include property-rights protection, carbon-standard alignment, and polycentric governance frameworks capable of balancing food security, host-country development rights, and global ecological justice. These findings provide both theoretical synthesis and actionable directions for governing land-based carbon markets in an era of geopolitical fragmentation.