A delegation of Chinese insurance and insurer-backed asset managers is currently in Australia for briefings on alternative investments, according to QIC.

The delegation, made up of executives from the Insurance Asset Management Association of China (IAMAC), is being hosted by the fund manager, which manages more than AUD28bn in infrastructure and real estate.

IAMAC is a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the improvement and development of China’s insurance asset management industry. Its members include China’s leading insurance and insurer-owned asset management companies.

QIC’s chief executive Damien Frawley said today that Chinese institutional investors had been demonstrating a growing interest in alternatives.

He said infrastructure assets in particular were proving attractive to Chinese investors because of their long-term stable returns and consistent cash yields.

Frawley said that the maturity of the Australian alternatives market – due in part to domestic superannuation regulations – made it a key location for the IAMAC delegation to learn more about the area.

QIC has a strong track record of actively managing infrastructure assets and a detailed understanding of alternatives, he said.