BNP Paribas granted China custodian bank licence

BNP Paribas has been granted a licence to provide custody services for China’s Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) scheme, which allows them to support foreign institutional investors to access China’s equities and bond markets. 

CG Lai, BNP Paribas China Limited chief executive, said: “This newest QFI licence complements our cross-border product offering and will help to attract even more foreign investment into China’s bond and equity markets, which are fast becoming amongst the most important markets globally.  

“BNP Paribas is undoubtedly one of the best-positioned foreign banks to support institutional investors in the China market.”  

Philippe Kerdoncuff, BNP Paribas Securities Services China head, said as constraints on foreign participation in China’s markets abate they expected a wave of renewed interest from offshore institutional investors.  

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“The licence also closely follows the removal of quotas and expansion of scope for investments under the QFI scheme, making this an exciting time for new entrants to the onshore custody space,” Kerdoncuff said. 

BNP Paribas China Limited was one of the first foreign banks to be granted a bond settlement agent licence for the China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM) in 2016.  

BNP Paribas Securities Services Hong Kong also facilitates participation, via a special segregated account, in China’s Stock Connect schemes, as well as Bond Connect through its membership of the HKMA Central Moneymarkets Unit.