To implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, further promote the reform of “delegation, administration and service” and drive the healthy development of foreign exchange insurance market, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) recently issued the Circular on Further Facilitating Insurance Companies in Settlement of Foreign Exchange Capital (Huifa No. 17 [2019], “the Circular”), in a bid to promote the facilitation of the exchange of insurance-related foreign exchange funds.

The Circular mainly contains the following contents. The first is to cancel the approval for settlement of foreign exchange capital of insurance companies and implement the discretionary foreign exchange settlement system. An insurance company may handle the settlement of foreign exchange capital and funds raised through overseas IPO with a financial institution engaging in foreign exchange business (“financial institution”) according to the actual operating requirements. The second is to allow insurance intermediaries to conduct foreign exchange settlement or purchase for indemnities under insurance-related collection and payments for clients. Financial institutions shall examine the authenticity of foreign exchange settlement or purchase. The insurance agencies and insurance brokers that meet the requirements of the competent insurance authorities may directly handle foreign exchange settlement of indemnities under the insurance-related collection and payment for clients with a financial institution provided that the recipient of indemnities presents a power of attorney for foreign exchange settlement. The third is to improve the ongoing and ex-post regulation of foreign exchange insurance business. Business compliance requirements for insurance institutions such as reporting on negative issues shall be refined.

The Circular will come into force on July 1, 2019.