The Hainan Free Trade Port cross-border asset management pilot program officially launched on August 21, 2025, marking a pivotal step in China's financial sector opening-up and providing global investors with a new channel for RMB asset allocation. As the first major policy response, the Silk Road Academy of Social Sciences and Hainan Union Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly advance the construction of Hainan's cross-border asset management market and help establish an "onshore RMB offshore asset market hub."
Pilot Launch: Billion-Level Cross-border Asset Management Lands in Hainan
According to policies released by the Hainan Regulatory Bureau of the National Financial Regulatory Administration, overseas institutions and qualified individual investors can invest in Hainan's local asset management products through designated channels, covering Private Equity Funds, Public Offering Funds, and Insurance Asset Management Products (Risk Levels R1-R4). The pilot program initially sets a RMB 10 billion net inflow cap with a dynamic adjustment mechanism to ensure risk control and stable operation.
This innovative initiative implements key requirements of the Master Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, aiming to explore a cross-border capital flow management system aligned with high-standard free trade port development and provide "Hainan experience" for advancing RMB Internationalization.
Strategic Collaboration: Creating New Paradigms for Cross-border Asset Management
On August 20, 2025, the Silk Road Academy of Social Sciences and Hainan Union Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. officially signed the Hainan International Free Trade Port Asset Management Cooperation Agreement in Haikou, becoming the first substantive cooperation project under the cross-border asset management pilot policy.
Under the agreement, both parties will leverage their respective resources to deepen cooperation in cross-border capital introduction, asset allocation, and product innovation. The Academy will utilize its global network covering over 150 Belt and Road partner countries to attract overseas institutional investors and professionals, while Hainan Union Fund will provide international-standard local asset management services through its licensed Private Equity Fund Management Qualification and provincial treasury special fund management expertise.
Resource Integration: Serving National Free Trade Port Strategy
The Silk Road Academy of Social Sciences has extensive experience in promoting industrial cooperation along the Belt and Road Initiative. Hainan Union Fund, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hainan Union Asset Management Co., Ltd., possesses deep expertise in local financial policies and asset management practices.
This collaboration will focus on Hainan's financial "Dual Circulation" development goals, offering overseas investors more diversified and internationalized RMB asset allocation options while aligning local asset management practices with international standards.
Future Outlook: Building a New Hub for Cross-border Capital Flows
With the deepening implementation of cross-border asset management policies and the launch of initial cooperation projects, Hainan Free Trade Port is accelerating its development into a new hub for cross-border capital flows. This collaboration not only provides a new channel for overseas capital to participate in China's financial market but also offers a new pathway for onshore asset internationalization.
Both parties stated that they will take this cooperation as a starting point to actively explore replicable and scalable cross-border asset management innovations, contributing financial strength to the implementation of the "Dual Circulation" new development paradigm in Hainan and supporting the construction of a world-class free trade port with global influence.
