China loosens rules on QFII investment allocation

China’s chief securities regulator has eased restrictions on the amount foreign investors can invest in securities other than stocks under the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor program, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing local media. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) will no longer require institutions investing under the QFII program to invest at least 50% of their assets in stocks. The previous rules were put in place to prevent over-investment in fixed-income assets by firms hoping to profit on appreciation of the renminbi. The CSRC has also begun granting separate licenses to different subsidiaries of the same parent company, with Fullerton Fund Management obtaining a license despite its parent, Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings, already holding a license through another subsidiary. The CSRC is also considering increasing quotas for QFII holders that issue structured products, provided the additional quota is not used to sell similar products. Roughly US$26 billion in quotas have been granted under QFII since the program’s launch in 2002.