Bank of China, the country's third-largest lender by assets, is to unveil a range of Swiss-based funds denominated in renminbi. The funds, aimed at wealthy Chinese investors hungry for international equities and bonds and international investors keen to get a slice of Chinese financial markets, will reduce some of the barriers to investing in the Chinese currency.

The funds are being rolled out by BOC (Suisse) Fund Management, a subsidiary of Bank of China (Suisse), a Swiss private bank, and the first Chinese asset manager in Europe, which opened its doors in Geneva last November.

“It is the first time a Swiss registered fund is giving investors access to a renminbi dominated share class,” said Daniel Penseyres, chief executive. He said it would enable Chinese investors to invest in international financial markets without taking foreign currency risks, while international investors could build their exposure to the Chinese currency and markets through Swiss regulated products.