(Yicai) Dec. 29 -- Foreigners holding the new version of China’s permanent residence permit can now open accounts to trade Chinese mainland-listed shares, also known as A-shares, online.

Many Chinese brokers, including China Securities, have officially launched online account registration for foreigners with the new Chinese permanent residence ID cars, Securities Times reported today.

Before, foreigners with permanent residence permits could open A-share accounts in offline brokerage stores, according to relevant regulations from the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

The Beijing Securities Regulatory Bureau had issued a notice requiring securities firms in its jurisdiction to adapt their systems to allow foreigners to handle account registrations, securities and futures trading, and subscription and redemption of investment fund shares online by the end of the year.

On Dec. 1, the National Immigration Administration officially kicked off issuing the new foreign permanent residence permit ID card, which is more similar to Chinese citizens’ ID cars in terms of benefits and services.

Editor: Futura Costaglione