As China and Thailand mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has taken a notable step by listing the ChiNext 50 ETF-DR on 25 November. The product is Thailand’s first depository receipt linked to a China-domiciled ETF and the first time a ChiNext ETF has expanded overseas in DR form.

For international investors based in Thailand or operating regionally, the significance is straightforward: the listing offers direct, operationally simple access to China’s fast-growing innovation sectors—without navigating onshore account openings or currency conversions.

The ETF-DR tracks the ChiNext 50 Index, a benchmark of China’s new-economy leaders across new energy, artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing. These companies are central to China’s push toward “new quality productive forces,” and the index has ranked among the top-performing major global equity indices year-to-date, drawing rising attention from global institutions seeking growth exposure outside traditional markets.

For banks, asset managers and corporate treasury teams, the structure provides:

• A compliant gateway to China's technology-driven equity themes

• A familiar trading, settlement and custody environment via the SET

• A sector-focused instrument useful for diversification, benchmark construction or tactical China allocations

The move also aligns with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's broader effort to internationalize ChiNext products. SZSE has supported listings of ChiNext index trackers on 10+ exchanges across Asia, Europe and South America, creating the early framework of a cross-timezone trading ecosystem for ChiNext ETFs.

For multinational corporates, investment promotion agencies and professional service firms, the listing serves as a real-time indicator of growing regional appetite for China's innovation-driven industries. It also illustrates how ASEAN markets are experimenting with low-friction mechanisms for connecting local investors to China's capital markets.

Rather than a symbolic gesture in a jubilee year, the ChiNext 50 ETF-DR is a practical market development. It widens investment options for global investors in Thailand and adds another link in Asia's evolving investment architecture—one that prioritizes efficiency, transparency and accessibility as China's innovation economy becomes increasingly relevant to global portfolios.