China's capital market seeks overseas investors

BEIJING - China will gradually raise the upper limit of overseas investors' stock proportions in domestic securities and futures companies, said an official with the country's securities regulator on Sunday.

The move's purpose is to push for better development of the domestic securities and futures market, said Fang Xinghai, deputy head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) at a press conference.

In addition, the CSRC will continue to promote reciprocal and win-win bilateral investment treaties under the framework of bilateral or multilateral agreements, he added.

Foreign investors are allowed to participate in China's onshore stock market through quota-based projects including qualified programs such as foreign institutional investor (QFII) and RQFII, which allows institutions to raise renminbi from the offshore market to invest in China.

China launched the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect in late 2014 to let investors on the mainland and Hong Kong trade selected stocks on each other's exchanges, subject to daily and aggregate quotas.

A similar link between Shenzhen and Hong Kong was launched in December.

Authorities have begun linking QFII quota allocation to the size of offshore investment funds, relaxed capital flow restrictions for QFII and RQFII funds and simplified quota applications.