The China Securities Regulatory Commission plans to relax the rules governing segregated accounts run by the country’s fund management companies.

The CSRC will reduce the minimum assets under management requirement for single segregated accounts, and allow the accounts to invest in commodities futures and hold up to 20 per cent of assets in one stock. It will also remove the requirement for fund groups to have two years of securities investment experience and a minimum Rmb20bn ($3bn) of assets under management. The new rules will take effect on October 1.

The changes are expected to help increase the demand for segregated accounts, which cater to wealthy individuals and institutional investors, and offer small fund managers an opportunity to increase their asset base.