By Florence ChongJune 2021 (Magazine)
It is tantalising to imagine the concept – that the standard global fixed-income portfolio, which has stood the test of time for so long, may be about to unravel. The standard bearers – US Treasuries, the UK Gilts, German Bunds and Japanese government bonds (JGBs) – may soon have to share the stage with a brash newcomer: Chinese government bonds (CGBs).
The Chinese government bond market is expected to overtake the US within a few years
China’s 10-year bonds are yielding around 3%, compared with zero or negative rates in other developed countries
In a year in which the performance of developed-market bonds has floundered, much rethinking is going on. Proactive chief investment officers of global pension funds, together with other institutional investors, want diversification, better returns and, frankly, ‘safer’ assets in their portfolio.