China Investment Corporation

• Amount : 1.47 trillion yuan (£100 billion)
  
• History :

• One of the youngest of the major sovereign wealth funds.
• CIC is in charge of investing China’s vast foreign exchange reserves and is thought to have about $200 billion at its disposal.
  
• Major investment : Blackstone ($3 billion)

• In late December 2007, it emerged that CIC would inject USD5 billion into Morgan Stanley in return for a 9.9 per cent stake. It will receive 9% interest instead of a dividend.

CITIC

• Amount: 929.2 billion yuan (Dec. 2006).

• History:
  
• It was founded in 1979.

• The state-controlled bank floated in April for USD5.9 billion and, like its compatriots, has been branching out into the West.

• Major investments : Late 2007 bought 6% stake in Bear Stearns for USD1 billion.

• Specifically, it pumped USD1 billion into Bear Stearns, the struggling Wall Street investment bank, after the high-profile collapse of two hedge funds.
  

China Development Bank

• Amount: 2,314 billion yuan (USD320) (Dec. 2006).

• History :
  The China Development Bank was founded in 1994 under the strict jurisdiction of the country’s Government.
  

• Major investments : Bought 3.1% in Barclays for £1.6 billion.
  Given the bank’s strong state links, it has been instrumental in financing the construction of China’s infrastructure, including the huge Three Gorges Dam project