QFII, also known as qualified foreign institutional investors, are foreign institutions that are allowed to invest in the Chinese securities market in accordance with Chinese laws. This system involves the issuance of various types of securities, including equities, bonds, warrants, primary and secondary markets, overseas listed-IPOs, foreign companies, mutual funds, certificates of deposits, trusts, and many more.
The Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors program was launched in 2002 to allow foreign institutional investors to manage a defined group of securities trades in the Chinese securities market. This system acts to facilitate the infusion of foreign capital into the China market which can be used to improve the efficiency and open up the economy. The primary benefit of the QFII program is that it provides foreign institutional investors access to the existing securities market while remaining compliant with Chinese regulations.
The program requires each foreign institutional investor to have a Chinese custodian bank that applies on behalf of the investor in the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) . The approved foreign institutional investor then deposits a portion of capital into the custodian bank prior to the transaction. Once the transaction is approved, the investor is given permission to trade in the Chinese securities markets.
An approved foreign institutional investor registered with QFII can also receive dividends from their investment as well as profits from the sale of their assets. The investor can also convert their assets in the form of shares into foreign currencies of the desired countries. This conversion does occur with the permission of the CSRC. Finally, foreign institutional investors are allowed to invest on a discretionary basis, meaning that they can choose to buy or sell any security at any time.
The purpose of the QFII program is to increase the interaction between international markets and the Chinese securities market, while keeping with the outlined regulations by the CSRC. The benefit of this program is that foreign institutional investors can gain exposure to China, while also minimizing risk since there is a stringent regulatory environment. This program also works to improve market efficiency and allows foreign institutional investors to diversify their investment portfolio by allowing access to a new asset class.
In conclusion, QFII is a preferred way for foreign institutional investors to gain access to China’s securities markets. This program has a rigorous regulatory framework which ensures the safety of the investor’s funds and minimizes their risk exposure. It also benefits Chinese investors by allowing them to tap into a larger, more diverse pool of capital from the international markets. The QFII program is a key development in the continued growth and expansion of China’s domestic securities markets.