Not all China ETFs are growth bets. Some pay a steady, if volatile, income — and the gap between the highest and lowest is wide. Here is how the main funds stack up on yield.
| ETF | Ticker | What it holds | Trailing yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShares China Large-Cap | FXI | FTSE China 50 (SOE banks/energy) | ~3.5% |
| WisdomTree China ex-SOE | CXSE | Private / non-state firms | ~2.0% |
| iShares MSCI China | MCHI | Broad China (600+ names) | ~2.0% |
| iShares MSCI China A | CNYA | Mainland A-shares | ~1.9% |
| Xtrackers CSI 300 A-Shares | ASHR | CSI 300 (A-shares) | ~1.5% |
| Invesco China Technology | CQQQ | Broad tech | ~0.8% |
| KraneShares China Internet | KWEB | Internet platforms | ~0.5% |
Pattern: the yield comes from the index. State-owned-bank-heavy FXI leads; tech and internet funds reinvest into growth and pay little. A broad fund like MCHI lands in the middle.
The headline yield is gross. China ETF distributions are typically subject to Chinese withholding (commonly around 10% at the fund level, and sometimes more for certain A-share access routes), and then to your own country's tax. The cash you actually receive is lower than the published number — and unlike a US broad-market ETF (~1.3% yield), these yields are paired with far higher price volatility.