ING Investment Management Asia/Pacific (ING IM) announced Tuesday the launch of the ING China Access Fund targeting select investment opportunities in Chinese securities listed on international exchanges.

A press release from the ING IM said the fund will focus on industry leaders, and invest in small- and mid-cap companies with strong fundamentals and whose businesses are exposed to the upside of the Chinese economy.

ING IM believes that China will continue to benefit from dynamic and sustainable economic growth, rapid urbanization and industrialization and increasing purchasing power, the press release said.

ING China Access Fund offers investors access to premier Chinese companies not listed on the domestic A-share market, companies trading at a steep discount to A shares, well-established global companies which derive significant amount of revenue from China and good quality China IPOs listed on international markets.

Commenting on the launch, Chris Ryan, CEO of the ING IM, said, "We are bullish in the outlook of the Chinese economy, and are convinced that the fund will be able to deliver alpha potential by leveraging our in-depth investment management experience in China. The launch of this Fund underlines our confidence we have had in the long term development of China."

ING IM said the fund is managed by an experienced regional investment team equipped by extensive on-the-ground research resources, and also is well-supported by the Shenzhen-based investment professionals in China Merchants Fund Management Co Ltd, ING's joint venture in China and the first Sino-foreign joint venture that was granted an operating license.