Few nations pose as big a challenge for global asset management companies as China. The country may have one of the fastest-growing pools of savings in the world, but tapping into those funds is easier said than done.
Peter Alexander knows these challenges well. As founder of Z-Ben Advisors, the Shanghai-based fund consultancy, he has been helping foreign groups navigate China since 2004, back when the country had only just started to open up to international fund houses.
Since then, the Chinese fund industry has grown from Rmb295bn ($35bn) in assets under management to Rmb2.11tn ($336bn). Dozens of foreign groups have set up operations on the mainland over the past decade, with mixed success.