Chinese companies may increase overseas mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by 40 percent next year while outbound deal value may hit a record high of $30 to $35 billion this year, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) said in a report yesterday.

With the global financial crisis making overseas assets more attractive, the value of Chinese companies' announced outbound M&A deals might triple this year over 2008, said the report.

The major risk for Chinese companies in fostering overseas M&A deals is the insufficient risk analysis capabilities, particularly in financial and legal aspects, said Wang Xiaogang, a partner at PwC China.