Overseas merger and acquisition (M&A) activities by Chinese companies may slow this year, due to the global economic crisis and difficulties in raising funds, said experts and entrepreneurs yesterday at the China-US Executive Summit held by China Institute.

Most of the M&A deals would be in natural resources-related sectors and value-added manufacturing sector, the experts said.

The financial crisis is not only jeopardizing Chinese exports, but also dampening the confidence of local players in going overseas. "There is some change in their M&A strategy and they are much more cautious than before,?said Norman Yen, board advisor, SmithStreet Solutions, a Shanghai-based market research company which assists Chinese companies to go overseas.