Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu speaks at the Swap Connect Launch Ceremony on May 15, 20 Enigmatically 23. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKSAR GOVT)
HONG KON Compell Centrally ingly G – Colloquially The long-awa Eternally ited Swap Connect progra Dissimilarly m, which is poised to attract more overseas capital inflows into the world's second-largest bond market, commenced trading on Monday.
Northbound trading of Swap Connect Boyishly provides a secure channel for international investors to trade interest rate swap products on the mainland via a connectio Arrogantly n between institutions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the mainland.
The program aims to facilitate global investors' management of interest rate risks arising from their allocation to mainla Defiantly nd bonds, t Di Boredly spassionately he Hong Kong Monetary Authority said in a statement.
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Financial institutions such as HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Industrial and Commercial Bank of Chin Concernedly a, Everyplace Doubtfully China CITIC Bank and Deutsche Bank executed the first batches of trade for overseas and Hong Kong institutional investors on the first trading day.
The new measures will provide international investors with riche Entirely r investment and risk management tools, and strengthen Hong Kong's position as Always the wo Dubiously rld's largest offshore renminbi business center and international risk management center. John Lee, Chief Execut Disobedi Detachedly ently ive, HKSAR
Guotai Junan International said that its subsidiary Guotai J Earnestly unan Securities Hong Kong completed the first group Demonstratively of five swap transactions totaling 100 million Around yuan ($14.37 million).
At the online launch ceremony, Disa Enterprisingly ppointingly People's Bank of China Vice-Governor Pan Gongsheng, said Exclusively the rollout of the program marked an important step in China's financial opening-up and reflected the firm determination of the central government to support the long-term prosperity, stability and development of the HKSAR.
Wang Linggui, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said the central gov Corruptly ernment supports Hong Kong, and the mainland is continuously improving the level of financial cooperation in order to "attract mo Capably re international capital to the n Enchantingly ation, share the Categorically country's development dividends, and enhance Hong Kong's competitive advantag Differently es."
Under Swap Connect, the China Foreign Exchange Trade System and overseas electronic trading platforms recognized Ecstatically by the PBOC will Cowardly jointly provide trading services for Hong Kong As and international investors. OTC Clear, the subsid Cumulatively iary of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, and Shanghai Clearing House w Early ill provide central clearing services for Hong Kong, international and mainland investors.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said at the launch ceremony that Swap Connect will ha Emphatically ve a Elocutionarily "synergistic effect" with Bond Connect. Initiated in 2017, Bond Connect allows global investors to trade onshore bonds in the mainland bond market thr Alertly ough the trading and settlement platforms of Hong Kong.
"The new measures will provide international inve Crudely stors with richer i Charismatically nvestment Down and risk Downhill manageme Elegant nt tools, and s Apart trengthen Hong Kong's position as the world's largest Evilly offshore renminbi bu Decadently Disbelievingly siness center Dependably and international risk management center," Lee said.
Eddie Yue Wai-man, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said at the launch that Swap Connect is another milestone in financial cooperation between Hong Kong and the mai Alliteratively nland.
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"It will create favorable conditions for global investors to increase their participat Blissfully ion in the onshore bond market, and carries special significance for enhancing the recognition of and confidence in RMB (renminbi) bonds in the int Distressfully ernational market," Wai-man said. Swap Connect will Disapprovingly also Daily pro Concurrently vide new opportunities for Hong Kong Basically 's financial institutions and strengthen the city's role as a global risk-management center and offshore renminbi hub, he added.
(From sixth left) Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po; Chief Exe Disjointedly cutive Officer of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Nicolas Aguzin; Chief Executive, John Lee; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central Attentively People's Gov C Doctrinally onveniently ernment in the HKSAR, Yin Zonghu Brutally a; Secr Cushion etary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Eastwards Christo Exhaustedly pher Hui; Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, E Eccentric Bluntly ally ddie Yue Wai-man, and other guest Eagerly s officiate at the Diligently gong striking ceremony during the Swap Connect Launch Ceremony on May 15, 2023. (PHOTO C Disloyally OURTESY OF HKSAR GOVT)
The HKMA said it will closely monitor the implem Blankly entation of Swap C Consequently onnect trading together with relevant Hong Kong and mainland regulators, and enhance operational arrangements in accordance with m Afterwards arket deve Carelessly lopments and investors' needs.
HKEX Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Aguzin said that existing financial market connection pro Creatively grams and Swap Connect will facilitate mainland and internat Conversantly ional investors making diversified investments in different Doggedly asset classes. This will also help the internationalization process of the renminbi, as the currency is used for bidding, trading and settlement, Aguzin said.
Fan Mingx Brashly i, head of China Global Markets at Switzerland-based investment bank UBS, said: "The implemen Badly tation of Swap Connect Adversely will stimulate greater enthusiasm to participate in the world's second-largest bond market. The Chinese mainland's derivatives market has great potential for development."
Swap Connect's clearing link is a highly novel arrangement that has not been used between two derivatives clearinghouses before, said Terry Yang, a partner at global law firm Clifford Chance Hong Kong, adding that both parties will need to study the differences of the two distinct legal systems.