On November 5, 2014, the Shanghai Futures Exchange and China Minsheng Bank signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shanghai. President Liu Nengyuan and Executive Vice-president Ye Chunhe of the Shanghai Futures Exchange and President Mao Xiaofeng and Assistant to President Li Bing of China Minsheng Bank attended the signing ceremony.

Under the agreement, both parties will vigorously push ahead the construction of the futures market through diversified cooperation in service, product, channel, resource, training and research in line with the strategic requirements of the new Opinions on Further Promoting the Healthy Development of Capital Market issued by the State Council and the message from the 2014 innovative development forum of futures operating institutions. With their focus on “innovation-driven transformational development” and best use of respective business features and competitive edges, they will build all-round strategic partnership to promote their business cooperation and the reform and development of the futures market. On one hand, they will leverage a wider range of financial services by expanding the futures market; on the other hand, they will improve the capability of financial institutions to serve the futures market. The strategic cooperation aims to further enhance the market service capability of the futures market for real economy and its value creation capability as well and facilitate the win-win achievement of the strategic planning goals of both parties.

This strategic cooperation represents the “big time” trend featuring substantially deepened cooperation among pan-financial institutions in the context of China’s financial liberalization and internationalization. To be more compatible with liberalization, both parties adopt a more initiative, active and open attitude towards the cooperative development, which further pushes ahead the healthy development of capital market, improves the multi-tier capital market system, accelerates the perfection of modern market system, achieves optimization of resource allocation and promotes the transformation and upgrading of futures market development.

The Shanghai Futures Exchange endeavors to develop into a leading trading place for commodities futures, options and other derivatives in the Asia-Pacific region with huge global influence. There are 12 products listed for trading at the Exchange, covering such bulk commodity areas as nonferrous metals, precious metals, ferrous metals and energy and chemicals, among which Shanghai copper has become an authoritative quote in the domestic copper market of China. The Shanghai Futures exchange is the copper pricing center of Asia and one of the three copper pricing centers in the world. In 2013, the trading volume of the Shanghai Futures Exchange accounted for 15.87% of the total global trading volume of commodities futures and options, ranking the fourth in the world. The volume of steel bar and copper ranked the first and the second respectively in the world’s metal futures, silver the second in precious metals futures and natural rubber the fifth in agricultural commodity futures. Meanwhile, with ongoing commitment to system and product innovation, the Exchange launched the continuous trading system for precious metals and nonferrous metals on July 5 and December 20 of 2013 respectively, which makes it easier for domestic metals futures market to be geared to international standards, reduces the overnight risks of market participants and is bound to play an important role in making metal futures better serve real economy. In addition, with the successful launch of hot-rolled coil futures on March 21, 2014, the steel industry chain product portfolio has been gradually enriched and the service capability of the Exchange for industries improved constantly. Currently, the Exchange’s preparation for the launch of such major new products and derivatives as crude oil futures, nonferrous metals index and commodities futures and options is also in smooth progress.

Established in Beijing on January 12, 1996, China Minsheng Bank is the first national joint stock commercial bank with non-public ownership enterprise as the main shareholder. As the experimental plot of the reform of China’s banking industry, China Minsheng Bank keeps forging ahead by reforming with keen determination and makes considerable contributions to the reform and innovation of China’s banking industry. With its size, business and profits growing constantly, it has maintained momentum for rapid and healthy development. On December 19, 2000, China Minsheng Bank was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. On November 26, 2009, it was listed on Hong Kong Exchange. At the new historical starting point, China Minsheng Bank determines its market orientation of “Being a bank for private enterprises, small and micro businesses and high-end clients” and vigorously pushes ahead the adjustment of management structure, organizational system and business structure as well as the construction of technological platform for its second round of leaping development into a bank with distinguishing features and substantial economic benefits to create more value and better return for clients and investors. Furthermore, through continual system innovation, China Minsheng Bank has achieved the strategic objective of low risk, rapid growth and huge profits and established brand-new image of a commercial bank full of vitality and vigor.