CHINA Minsheng Investment Co. (CMI), the country’s largest private investment fund, said Saturday it would invest 1 billion pounds (US$1.5 billion) in a Chinese-led project to develop a new financial district in London.

    The project is one of the largest Chinese investments in the United Kingdom in recent years and one of the most significant for Minsheng, which launched last August with registered capital of 50 billion yuan (US$8.16 billion).

    Minsheng said it would become the majority investor in the project, which was unveiled in 2013 by Chinese developer Advanced Business Park (ABP) and Mayor Boris Johnson and touted as potentially London’s third financial center after the City and Canary Wharf.

    ABP wants to develop a 14-hectare sliver of land at the historic Royal Albert Dock in eastern London into 400,000 square meters of offices and shops.

    Headed by Dong Wenbiao, former chairman of Minsheng Bank Corp., Minsheng Investment claims no formal relationship with the bank.

    In January, the fund’s international advisory committee, a panel that includes former European prime ministers, Asian tycoons and a Nobel laureate, assembled at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing for the first time to discuss its globalization strategy.

    The fund has said it would invest broadly in areas ranging from sustainable energy to real estate to business jet services.

    The Chinese developers and London officials have envisioned attracting growing Asian firms to establish their European headquarters at their business park, which is close to the London City airport. (SD-Agencies)