Final answer:
The statement is false as China is a significant global investor and holds a large amount of U.S. public debt, making it one of the leading sources of foreign capital, not just a recipient.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Behind the U.S., China is the second-largest recipient of foreign investment." is false. In reality, China is one of the world's largest sources of foreign investment as well as one of the largest holders of foreign capital.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that foreign investors owned a total of $30.6 trillion of U.S. assets by the third quarter of 2015. Foreign businesses and governments, including those from China, are major buyers of U.S. federal debt. Therefore, rather than being just a recipient, China is a significant investor in the global economy, especially in the United States, where it holds a substantial amount of public debt.
China's economic prowess is significant, with its economy experiencing rapid growth and modernization, and it is forecasted to potentially overtake the United States as the world's largest economy by 2030 if current trends persist.