(Yicai Global) May 29 -- American investment giant Morgan Stanley has been given the green light to establish what is slated to become the second futures company in China owned by a foreign firm after JPMorgan Chase.

Morgan Stanley Futures China, which will be registered in Beijing, was approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission recently.

The securities watchdog will support the opening-up of the futures market to support qualified foreign institutions to invest in domestic futures firms to advance the high-quality development of the real economy, the CSRC said on its website on May 26.

China has steadily been opening up its financial sector to foreign entities. The CSRC approved JPMorgan Chase Futures as the country's first fully foreign-funded futures firm in June 2020.

Hu Qian will become the chairperson of Morgan Stanley Futures China, Wei Wei will be the general manager, and Xu Zhongping to serve as its chief risk officer, according to a list of qualified executives released by the China Futures Association on its website in January 2022.

The New York-headquartered investment bank has several business units in China, including Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Morgan Stanley Bank International China, Morgan Stanley Huaxin Funds, Morgan Stanley China Private Equity Investment Management, and Morgan Stanley Securities China, per its website.

The CSRC will continue to advance opening access to the futures market in breadth and depth, Fang Xinghai, vice chairman, said during the 20th Shanghai Derivatives Market Forum on May 25.

The regulator has given qualified foreign institutional investors access to 23 varieties of futures contracts. They and renminbi qualified foreign institutional investors have access to 39 types of futures and options, and primary commodities make up 96 percent and 70 percent, respectively, Fang said.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi