US real estate investment manager Hines recently registered a fund management company in Shanghai, further expanding its footprint in China amid a growing trend of multinational corporations (MNCs) establishing local operations.

According to the Asset Management Association of China, the newly established company manages private equity and venture capital funds and has a registered capital of $2 million. Its ultimate controlling entity is Hines Singapore, which serves as the group's a regional hub for investment management in Asia.

Hines currently owns and operates real estate assets valued at $90.1 billion. The group entered the Chinese market in 1995, making China its first stop in the Asia-Pacific region and positioning it among the earliest foreign real estate firms to operate in the country.

Tina He, head of Hines Greater China, said the company places great importance on business in the region and aims to deepen cooperation with partners across multiple sectors, including property rights transactions and green finance.

Other MNCs have also been intensified their commitment to China. In late March, Van Eck Associates Corporation, a US asset management company, completed the registration for its wholly-owned private equity fund management enterprise in Shanghai. Singapore-based True Light Capital followed suit on June 16.

Established in 1955, Van Eck manages mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. Since designating China and other emerging markets as its strategic focus in 1993, the firm has maintained a presence in China for over two decades.

Industry insiders said that these moves underscore leading corporations' positive confidence in China's long-term economic growth and business opportunities. By establishing local fund management companies, these firms aim to deepen their engagement in the Chinese market.

Sources: nbd.com.cn, China Fund