Global investors pivot from access to scale in yuan operations, anchored by Hong Kong

Global institutional investors are pivoting away from basic market entry to scaling up their Yuan operations, with offshore hubs such as Hong Kong emerging as the central infrastructure for that shift, a new survey showed.The survey, conducted by HSBC and polling more than 120 institutional investors collectively managing over US$32 trillion in assets across 12 Asia-Pacific markets, found that 63 per cent preferred offshore Yuan markets for currency transactions, while 54 per cent relied on cross-border channels such as Bond Connect and Stock Connect.Yuan adoption has become portfolio-led, with 66 per cent of respondents citing diversification as their primary driver for allocation, compared with 54 per cent citing China’s global trade footprint and 40 per cent chasing specific yield opportunities.