Global custodian Brown Brothers Harriman has widened its network in Asia with the recent opening of its Beijing office.

The branch will serve as a hub to tap investment from the mainland. At present, its client list includes seven financial institutions in China and their respective qualified domestic institutional investors and 12 other QDIIs that are still awaiting regulatory approval. The office will be run by senior vice president and China country manager LJ Jia.

"We feel fairly well positioned to serve clients in Asia with offices in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing," said William Rosensweig, BBH managing director and head of Asia strategy in a statement.

Mr Rosensweig noted that the company had always determined expansion moves based on client needs. It currently has just four offices in Europe, despite the region accounting for more of its assets under custody, compared to Asia. To date, the global custodian has around $1.8 trillion worth of assets under its wing.