Hong Kong Asset Managers Back Wider Mainland Share Access
A Private Wealth Management Association and KPMG China survey finds broad support for letting qualified professional investors trade Star Market and ChiNext shares.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Investing
Live Poll
Would you invest in mainland China's tech stock markets if given access?
The Private Wealth Management Association and KPMG China released the 11th annual Hong Kong Private Wealth Management report on Thursday, covering most of the association's 44 institutional members. Ninety-one per cent of respondents supported wider access for qualified professional investors to Shanghai's Star Market and Shenzhen's ChiNext.
Why it matters
Hong Kong's equities have lagged many global markets amid limited exposure to semiconductor and memory chip firms benefiting from the AI hardware boom. Expanded regulated channels could help the city sustain its position as the world's largest cross-boundary wealth management centre.
The Private Wealth Management Association and KPMG China survey of its 44 institutional members found 91 per cent support for wider access to Star Market and ChiNext shares, with 79 per cent viewing Greater Bay Area initiatives as important over the next five years. The survey does not indicate a timeline for any access changes.
The players
Private Wealth Management Association
A Hong Kong industry body representing institutional wealth managers, which conducted the annual survey of its 44 members.
KPMG China
The China arm of the global professional services firm KPMG, which co-produced the Hong Kong Private Wealth Management report.
Wu Qing
Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the mainland's top securities regulator, who signaled support for foreign investor ventures.
The details
Overseas institutional investors currently trade mainland China-listed shares through Stock Connect and the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor programme, which caps any one institution's ownership at 10 per cent of a single listed company. In June, China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman Wu Qing said the regulator would support foreign investors establishing wholly owned subsidiaries or joint ventures.
Timeline
June: China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman Wu Qing said the regulator would support foreign securities ventures.
Thursday: The Private Wealth Management Association and KPMG China released the annual Hong Kong wealth report.
Market Landscape
The push builds on Stock Connect and the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor programme, the existing routes through which overseas institutions reach mainland-listed shares. Hong Kong's bid to keep its role as the largest cross-boundary wealth hub depends on whether those channels widen beyond their current 10 per cent single-company cap.
For investors, the survey signals possible future routes into mainland growth stocks that are not currently available through existing channels. Any change would depend on regulatory approval, and the report gives no timetable.
The takeaway
Support for wider access to mainland growth markets is strong among Hong Kong's asset managers, but the path from survey sentiment to actual rule changes remains uncertain. Investors should track regulatory announcements before adjusting cross-border allocations.
Further reading
Explore more on Investing for context on how cross-border share access shapes portfolio strategy.
Live Poll
Would you invest in mainland China's tech stock markets if given access?
