It will invest mostly in US dollar-denominated bonds of Asian issuers as well as convertibles, local currency bonds, warrants and equities.

The company believes Asia’s liquid corporate bond market is a relatively under-researched asset class. Investors can take advantage of attractive levels of yield and capital appreciation in the market.

Commenting on the launch, Kong said: ‘Asia credit provides a compelling investment solution—historically, it has generated higher return than US, Euro and Latin American high yield bonds with similar or lower volatility.’

‘This strategy will appeal to investors seeking a lower risk profile than our equity strategies, yet are comfortable with the risks associated with sub-investment grade debt.’

Matthews Asia said the outlook for the Asian fixed income market will become increasingly positive over the next decade, with this credit-based strategy designed to complement existing fixed income exposures.

The company launched a strategic income fund for Kong in September of last year, the Matthews Asia Fds-Asia Strategic Income, which was a mirror of an existing fund which Kong and her team have run since 2011.