Overseas institutions banking on greater access

Overseas bankers are upbeat about China's further opening-up of its financial sector and say they look forward to gaining wider access to the Chinese market as the country seeks greater integration with the global economy.

They are closely following the two sessions, the gatherings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, one of China's biggest annual events, and hoping to gain fresh insights into China's next move in the opening-up process.

"As the second-largest economy globally, China's financial sector has made tremendous achievements in opening-up and development. The internationalization of the renminbi and opening-up of the financial industry have led to continuous improvements to the financial system, which is conducive to foreign banks' development and participation in the domestic financial markets," said Christine Lam, chief executive of Citi China.