Canadian pension fund CDPQ puts brakes on China investment - FT
Adds context from hearing in paragraphs 2, 7 and 8, further statements from pensions throughout
June 1 (Reuters) -Canada's second-largest pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has stopped making private deals in China and will close its Shanghai office this year, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The news follows a May 8 parliamentary hearing in which several Canadian pensions, including CDPQ, were asked about their relationship with China as bilateral political tensions have intensified.
CDPQ is leading its regional investment efforts from Singapore, the report said, notingthat it still has business interests in China.
"We paused private investments for some time already — and have focused on liquid markets, which is the majority of our two per cent total portfolio exposure to China. We expect this trend to continue," the newspaper quoted CDPQ as saying in astatement.
CDPQ confirmed the Shanghai office closurelater this year, but declined to comment further.
The Financial Times in February reported that Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC has reduced private investments in China.
During the May hearing, Michel Leduc, a senior manager at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), said China was an "important source" for its portfolio.
"We recognize that any investment in China needs to be handled with care, sophistication, and an acute understanding of the current political and geopolitical environment," Leduc said.
A CPPIB spokesperson declined to comment further on Thursday.
In May, Canada's C$211.1 billion ($157.87 billion) British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) said it had reduced exposure in China and Hong Kong by about 15% over two years and paused direct investments in China.
"Our current exposure in China is less than 5% of the overall BCI portfolio, the majority of which is through public markets and via indexed funds," the asset manager said.
InApril Canada's third largest pension fund, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP), also closed its China public equityinvestment team based in Hong Kong.
At the start of the year, OTPP said it waspausing future direct investments in private assets in China, citing geopolitical risk as a factor.
OTPP expects to name a new head of Asia-Pacific Private Capital Direct in the coming months to replace Raju Ruparelia who has left to pursue other opportunities, a spokesperson said by email.
($1 = 1.3372 Canadian dollars)
Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru and Maiya Keidan in Toronto; Editing by Shailesh Kuber, Rashmi Aich and Richard Chang
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
