Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you. A large number of international financial planning companies operate in Beijing, and
generally they recommend offshore options. Major companies that you can speak to include
Montpelier, Austen Morris, Zurich, and Friends Provident.
Playing the stock market, particularly in Beijing, can be difficult for foreigners. At the
time of writing, neither of the mainland's stock exchanges—the Shanghai Stock Exchange
(
www.sse.com.cn
)
and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (
www.szse.cn
)—were completely
open to foreigners. Chinese stocks are classified into A and B categories, and foreigners
were permitted to invest in class B stocks only, which are generally highly risky and not
especially profitable. The government is working to open the market to foreign trade, so
this situation is changing quickly and worth keeping your eye on. Currently the most typic-
al way to invest in Chinese companies is via mutual funds, ETFs (exchange-traded funds),
and Chinese companies listed on major international stock markets, including Hong Kong
Stock Exchange (SEHK), the NASDAQ, and the New York Stock Exchange.
Unfortunately, a difficulty that comes with investing in Chinese companies is that a lot
of the time, they're not particularly transparent and getting accurate information about their
performance can be tricky.
Other avenues for investment in China include investing through business ventures. The
government is keen to attract foreign money and so frequently offers incentives for for-
eign companies. A good place to start your investigation into opportunities is Invest Beijing
(
www.bjinvest.gov.cn
)
, the government's official investment website.
