Standard Chartered completes inaugural Qualified Foreign Investor transaction of China Government Bond Futures

China – Standard Chartered Bank (China) Limited (“SCB China”) today announced the successful completion of its client’s inaugural Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) investment in China Government Bond (CGB) Futures, following the recent market opening. The Bank acted in dual capacities as both the QFI’s custodian and futures margin depository bank, supporting the end-to-end execution of the trade.

On 24 April 2026, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), together with the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), officially permitted QFIs to trade CGB futures for hedging purposes, broadening access to onshore risk management instruments.

Jerry Zhang, Global Head of Banks and Broker Dealers & Head of Coverage, Greater China & North Asia, said: “Standard Chartered is the only foreign bank among the initial cohort of six banks approved to participate in CGB futures. This development of opening it to QFI represents a further step in the continued opening of China’s capital markets and responds to strong demand from global institutional investors for enhanced risk management and portfolio diversification tools. As a leading international bank with deep cross-border connectivity, Standard Chartered is well positioned to support clients in executing their China investment strategies efficiently and effectively.”

Pierre Mengal, Regional Head of Financing & Securities Services, Greater China & North Asia, said: “Completing this inaugural transaction in just over a month after market opening underscores our close and strong collaboration with local regulators and partners, as well as our established expertise across China market access schemes. It also reflects, the strength and consistency of our services and operations, which has been built over decades of on-the-ground presence. We look forward to enabling more global investors to access China’s capital markets with speed and confidence.”

Standard Chartered started its custodial business in China’s capital markets from as early as 1992 and is a leading custodian in both the inbound (QFI/China Interbank Bond Market/Stock Connect/Bond Connect) and outbound (Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor) schemes. As the first international bank granted a domestic fund custody license in 2018, Standard Chartered China has custodised products from local brokers, fund managers as well as wholly foreign-owned enterprise, and is developing a unique proposition of catalysing the collaboration between local and overseas investors.

For further information, please contact:

Alvina Neo
Standard Chartered

About Financing and Securities Services

Standard Chartered’s Financing & Securities Services provides custody, clearing, fiduciary, fund and digital asset solutions to institutional clients across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The business supports clients across the investment lifecycle, bringing together global reach, deep local expertise across more than 100 markets, and innovation aligned to clients’ evolving needs.