Home Business U.S. House committee flags MSCI, BlackRock for China investments

U.S. House committee flags MSCI, BlackRock for China investments

0
U.S. House committee flags MSCI, BlackRock for China investments

A bank employee count China’s renminbi (RMB) or yuan notes next to U.S. dollar notes at a Kasikornbank in Bangkok, Thailand, January 26, 2023.

Athit Perawongmetha | Reuters

BEIJING — U.S. investments in around 50 blacklisted Chinese companies have drawn the attention of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

The committee on Tuesday announced it sent separate letters to MSCI and BlackRock asking for more information about the firms’ facilitation of U.S. investments into those Chinese companies.

related investing news

Investors are shifting their bond bets into this type of ETF

CNBC Pro

The Chinese companies were blacklisted over claims of supporting China’s military or alleged human rights abuses, the committee said. It noted the initial review did not include one of the largest blacklists, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List.

“The true scale is likely much larger,” the letters said.

MSCI said in a statement it is reviewing the request for information, and that it doesn’t “facilitate” investments in any country. “MSCI indexes measure the performance of equity markets available to international investors, and comply with all applicable US laws,” the indexing giant said.

BlackRock said most of its clients’ investments in China are through index funds. “We are one of 16 asset managers currently offering US index funds investing in Chinese companies,” the asset management giant said, noting it also offers clients strategies to exclude China from portfolios.

Here’s the full list of names, which are primarily state-owned companies:

Combined list of Chinese companies flagged by U.S. House committee

AECC Aero-Engine Control Company Limited
AECC Aviation Power Co., Ltd.
Aerospace Ch Auv Company Limited
AVIC Aviation High-Technology Company Limited
AVIC Electromechanical Systems Company Limited
AVIC Heavy Machinery Company Limited
AVIC Helicopter Company Limited
AVIC Industry-Finance Holdings Company Limited (a.k.a. AVIC Capital Company Limited)
AVIC Jonhon-Optronic Technology Co., Ltd.
AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company Limited
AVIC Xi’an Aircraft Industry Group Company Limited
Avicopter PLC
BGI Genomics Co., Ltd.
CETC Cyberspace Security Technology Co., Ltd.
CGN New Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.
CGN Power Co., Ltd.
Changsha Jingjia Microelectronics Co., Ltd.
China CSSC Holdings Ltd.
China Mobile Communications Group Company Limited
China National Chemical Corporation Ltd. (ChemChina)
China National Chemical Engineering Group Corporation Limited
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)
China National Nuclear Corporation Hua Yuan Titanium Dioxide Company Limited
China National Nuclear Power Company Limited
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)
China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC)
China Spacesat Company Limited
China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited
China State Construction Group Company Limited
China State Construction International Investment Group Company Limited
China Telecommunications Corporation Group
China United Network Communications Group Company Limited
CNOOC Energy & Technology Services Limited
Costar Group Company Limited ? CRRC Corporation Ltd.
CRRC Corporation Ltd.
CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) Company Limited
Dawning Information Industry Company Limited
Fujian Torch Electron Technology Company Limited
Hoshine Silicon Industry Company Limited
Inspur Electronic Information Industry Company Limited
Jiangxi Hongdu Aviation Industry (Group) Corporation Limited
North Industries Group Red Arrow Company Limited
Offshore Oil Engineering Company Limited
Qihoo 360
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC)
Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd.
Zhejiang Dahua Technology Company Limited
Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Company Limited
ZTE Corporation

Source: https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-releases/unconscionable-profit-fueling-chinas-military-select-committee-launches

The U.S. House committee estimated that five BlackRock funds have invested more than $429 million into the blacklisted names. Those companies also accounted for nearly 5% of the MSCI China A Index’s value as of March 1, the committee said.

U.S.-China tensions

We need to rethink our independence, Port of Antwerp-Bruges VP says as volumes with China drop