Standard Chartered Group Chief Executive Zainul Abedin: Chinese Government Bonds Possess Sound Investment Value as Appeal to Foreign Capital Continues to Rise

Standard Chartered Group CEO Bill Winters said during the China Development High-Level Forum 2026 Annual Conference on March 22 that China’s economy and bond market are large, with significant progress in financial market opening. As the internationalization of the RMB advances, international investors’ demand for RMB assets continues to grow, and Chinese government bonds offer stable investment value.

“One of the key aspects of financial opening-up is providing international investors with more convenient investment channels and a stable, predictable institutional environment,” Winters said. Currently, amid complex global geopolitical dynamics, China is experiencing a very special development opportunity. With a stable market environment, China is well-positioned to attract international investment.

Regarding geopolitical impacts, Winters believes that conflicts in the Gulf region push up oil prices, which negatively affect global economic recovery. Although some oil-producing countries benefit in the short term, high oil prices will suppress related demand in the long run. However, China’s direct impact from geopolitical conflicts is relatively limited.

When asked about Chinese companies that Standard Chartered is interested in, Winters admitted that he hopes to further understand AI company DeepSeek. Although it is not yet clear what specific banking needs it will meet, he has already used the product, and its disruptive impact is impressive. Winters revealed that he mainly uses DeepSeek in China, while in the US he uses Gemini or ChatGPT.

In Winters’ view, China has comprehensive development potential. Its competitiveness in AI empowering the real economy is outstanding, including manufacturing process optimization, logistics efficiency improvements, and breakthroughs in biopharmaceutical R&D. China has already established significant advantages in these areas, with some fields leading globally.

Regarding new drivers of China’s economic development, Winters believes that China’s innovation-driven economy is strong, with prominent advantages in new energy and green technology sectors. High-end industries like chips continue to rise, and frontier fields such as quantum computing and nuclear fusion are expected to play important roles in China in the future.