Pension fund seeks overseas investment partners

China’s US$74 billion pension fund is seeking fund management companies to help it invest in global equity markets, Bloomberg reported, citing a statement on the National Council for Social Security Fund’s (NSSF) website. The fund is seeking managers for Asia excluding Japan, emerging markets, Europe and global equities. An NSSF spokeswoman told the newswire service that the fund may invest up to US$14.9 billion, or 20% of its assets, overseas. Fund houses will be required to have the equivalent of at least US$5 billion in assets under management to receive a license. The Beijing-based NSSF has begun looking to investments overseas after new regulations issued in May 2006 permitted the fund to make overseas investments in stocks, funds, financial derivatives, and corporate and sovereign bonds.