Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corporation (CIC) is planning to raise its profile in the United States by looking at alternative investment opportunities. The fund said that its new course of action is prompted by relatively lower returns in the public markets.

CIC will now focus on investing in hedge funds and in private equity segment as well as increase the volume of its direct investments. Another areas of special interest are the infrastructure and technology sectors in the United States.

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Speaking at the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, Ding Xuedong, chairman of CIC said, "We hope to increase our alternative investments (in the United States), which is also a common trend among large global institutional investors, to cope with the low or even negative interest rate environment."

He also added that United States will need to invest over $8 trillion in infrastructure projects. However, there is not enough public or private capital for this purpose. Ding said that the United States needs to rely upon foreign investments to fill the gap.

Ding also emphasized that the United States needs to provide proper treatment to Chinese investors. He said that the fund is ready to comply with the US rules and regulations. Ding said that he hopes China will get the level playing field and there will be no double standards.

CIC was formed in 2007 for generating higher return on the country's foreign exchange reserve. It currently has nearly $800 billion worth of assets under management. Its portfolio includes $200 billion in foreign investments.

TagsChina Investment Corporation, hedge fund, Asian Financial Forum