The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued guidelines for banks to manage the onboarding and ongoing monitoring of mainland Chinese investment accounts.

The move, as reported by Bloomberg, aims to ensure a compliant and orderly application process. It occurs alongside broader enforcement actions in the cross-border brokerage sector.

The city’s de facto central bank issued a five-page circular last month detailing the new administrative steps.

HKMA requires banks to close any investment accounts opened using questionable or forged documents and to obtain written declarations from mainland investors.

According to an HKMA statement on Saturday (6 June), the account application process has been operating smoothly for mainland customers.

The regulator added that these measures will enhance Hong Kong’s advantages as an international financial centre.

Regulatory scrutiny across cross-border finance

The increased focus on mainland clients occurs alongside broader efforts by mainland authorities to tackle illegal cross-border trading.

Capital outflows from Chinese residents reached an estimated record of US$807 billion last year, according to data from the Institute of International Finance.

The sector has already seen substantial enforcement action.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission recently imposed more than US$330 million in combined penalties on three major online brokerages for providing offshore trading services to mainland clients without regulatory approval.

Existing non-compliant retail accounts at these firms were required to be wound down over a two-year period.

The stricter management rules have raised operational concerns for lenders and insurance companies in the city.

Shares of HSBC, AIA, and other Asia-exposed financial stocks fell earlier in the week as markets anticipated potential headwinds for these businesses.

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by rawintanpin via Magnific