SHANGHAI - China granted qualified foreign institutional investors (QFII) status to three foreign fund management companies in the first quarter of the year, official data showed.

The admission of Lyxor Asset Management from France, Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A from Italy and Polaris International Securities Investment from Taiwan province brings the total number of QFII investors to 109, according to an updated list posted by the China Securities Regulatory Commission on its website.

QFII investors will be allowed to invest their clients' money, subject to certain investment quotas to be decided by the government, in China's stock and bond markets through the QFII scheme.