The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) announced today that China treasury bond futures contracts will be launched in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is making preparations for the launch, including proposing amendments to relevant rules. HKEX will announce the details and the launch date as soon as practicable.
The amount of China treasury bonds held by offshore investors has increased steadily since the launch of Bond Connect in 2017. The demand for related hedging tools has also been on the rise. The Mainland Government and regulators strongly support the launch of China treasury bond futures in Hong Kong. This important risk management tool can facilitate further participation by offshore institutional investors in the Mainland treasury bond market and promote its healthy development.
“On top of Swap Connect (Note 1) and MSCI China A50 Connect Index Futures contract (Note 2), the launch of China treasury bond futures will further expand the toolkit for overseas investors to hedge their exposure to Mainland assets,” said Ms Julia Leung, Chief Executive Officer of the SFC. “This is a key milestone in developing Hong Kong as a premier risk management centre, especially for hedging equities and fixed income products with Mainland assets underlying.”
The SFC and the China Securities Regulatory Commission have established close regulatory cooperation arrangements for cross-boundary derivatives, including the sharing of supervisory information and provision of enforcement assistance. In addition to maintaining market integrity, these arrangements will also enable better assessment and facilitation of the long-term development of China treasury bond futures contracts.