UK asset manager Abrdn stresses importance of Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area for accessing China’s vast market
- The Greater Bay Area will serve as a launch pad for clients seeking access to the China market, and Hong Kong will always be important, says Abrdn’s Rene Buehlmann
- Abrdn’s focus on sustainable investment has seen the group double the headcount of its ESG team in mainland China
The Greater Bay Area will serve as a launch pad for clients seeking access to the China market, and Hong Kong will “always be important”, Rene Buehlmann, Abrdn’s Asia-Pacific CEO, said in an interview with the Post.
The Greater Bay Area is a regional initiative linking nine cities in southern China’s Guangdong province with Hong Kong and Macau into an economic and business hub. The bay area will lead to greater regional integration, Buehlmann said, adding that “Hong Kong has access to China and that remains critical.”
Buehlmann, who previously spent 29 years at UBS mostly in wealth management, said Abrdn actively uses Hong Kong’s various cross-border connect schemes to help its international clients access China’s markets. The Edinburgh-based firm manages £508 billion (US$573.1 billion) in assets.
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China’s market is heavily under-researched, but schemes like Stock Connect allow Abrdn’s clients to tap into the mainland’s exchanges, said Buehlmann.