China Interbank Bond Market Explained

China Inter-Bank Bond Market
Native Name:银行间债券市场
Native Name Lang:zh
Founded:1997
Parent:People's Bank of China

The China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM) (Chinese: 银行间债券市场) is the largest domestic bond market in China and, as of 2022, is the second-largest in the world, only trailing the United States bond market. The CIBM has over US$21.5 trillion in outstanding volume as of the end of 2022.[1] The CIBM was formed in 1997 after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) mandated commercial banks to move their bond trading out of the stock exchanges and into an interbank market operating through an electronic trading system.

The CIBM has grown rapidly since its inception. Average daily turnover has increased by over 400% in the past 12 years.[2] In 2016 for the first time, medium and long-term qualified foreign institutional investors recognized by People's Bank of China were allowed to invest in the CIBM without quota limits.[3] And in March 2022, overseas institutional investors made up 2.9 percent of the outstanding volume of bonds under custody in CIBM.[4]

Market infrastructure and major participants

The CIBM is an over-the-counter market between institutional investors. The trading system was developed by the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS). CFETS provides trade processing, training, and benchmark services for the CIBM, monitoring transactions, and providing support for monetary policy transmission of the People's Bank of China. The Shanghai Clearing House and China Central Depository & Clearing Co., Ltd. provide market participants with bond ownership, transaction information, and clearing and settlement services. With the authorization of the People's Bank of China, the Interbank Center and China Central Depository & Clearing Corporation may disclose market-related information.[5]

!Name!Main Functions!Fixed-income Products
China Foreign Exchange Trade SystemTrade repository, facilitating over-the-counter tradingAll products traded on the CIBM
Shanghai Clearing HouseRegistration, depository, clearing and settlementChinese government bonds, central bank bills, financial bonds, and enterprise bonds.
China Central Depository & Clearingcredit risk mitigations, debt financing instruments, Negotiable Certificate Deposits

International Market Access Channels and Bond Connect

As early as 2010, the People's Bank of China started a pilot program for select overseas participants to invest in the CIBM.[6] By 2013 this expanded to qualified foreign institutional investors with set quotas. By 2016 they could invest without set quotas.

In 2017, Bond Connect was launched, providing greater convenience for overseas investors as well as increase the scope of investable products. Bond Connect provided overseas investors real-time delivery versus payment as well as access via mainstream international e-trading platforms. With the addition of Bond Connect, bonds in the CIBM were included in Bloomberg Global Aggregate Indices, which took effect in April 2019.[7] This allowed for Exchange traded funds like KraneShares Bloomberg China Bond Inclusion ETF.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BIS Statistics: time-series details Q:CN:3P:1:1:1:A:A:TO1:A:A:A:A:A:I . 15 June 2022 . stats.bis.org.
  2. Web site: September 2021 . Investing in China's Interbank Bond Market: A Handbook . International Capital Market Association Group.
  3. Web site: New PBOC Regulation Welcomes More Foreign Participation in Interbank Bond Market Article Chambers and Partners . 15 June 2022 . chambers.com . en.
  4. Web site: The People's Bank of China Financial Market Report (March 2022) . 15 June 2022 . www.pbc.gov.cn.
  5. Web site: 全国银行间债券市场债券交易管理办法 . 15 June 2022 . pbc.gov.cn.
  6. Web site: Notice of the People's Bank of China on Issues Concerning the Pilot Program on Investment in the Interbank Bond Market with RMB Funds . 15 June 2022 . pbc.gov.cn.
  7. News: Bloomberg Confirms China Inclusion in the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Indices Press Bloomberg LP . en-US . Bloomberg L.P. . 15 June 2022.
  8. News: 4 June 2021 . KraneShares Launches Bloomberg Barclays China Bond Inclusion ETF (Ticker: KBND) on the New York Stock Exchange . en . Bloomberg.com . 15 June 2022.