China Sovereign Wealth Fund Could Consider EU Asset Buys if ECB Pumps Fresh Stimulus

China's colossal sovereign wealth fund will contemplate further investment in European assets if the European Central Bank (ECB) rolls out further stimulus measures, the head of the fund has said.

Chairman Ding Xuedong, who runs the $575bn (£341bn, €422bn) China Investment Corporation (CIC), believes monetary easing in the eurozone will spell "good news."

Xuedong told CNBC that any forthcoming stimulus measures by the ECB will be justified.

The ECB's Governing Council meets on 5 June and President Mario Draghi has indicated that fresh stimulus will be unveiled.

"I think ECB's position is reasonable, and we will take that into consideration when we look at market opportunities in Europe. I think on the whole it may be good news for us," Xuedong said on 23 May

"Under these circumstances, stimulus measures taken by the ECB will somehow moderate this phenomenon. And growth and the recovery of the eurozone economies will contribute to the wider growth and recovery of the global economy," he added.

Societe Generale Cross Asset Research said in a note to clients: "We expect the ECB to deliver as early as at the June meeting a mix of refi and deposit rate cuts, a liquidity injection (no more SMP sterilisation), targeted LTROs (funding for lending) and a non-sovereign debt purchase programme.

"It will keep the door open for more, namely an extension of the purchase programme to government debt, should inflation continue to surprise to the downside."

Societe Generale Cross Asset Research said in a separate note: "We believe any ECB asset purchases will trigger further compression of government bond spreads within the eurozone. This will provide further support to peripheral equity markets as it will be positive for companies and economic activity.

"French assets would also benefit from such action in the context of the radical policy shift announced in January and implemented by the new government."