A bond denominated in Chinese yuan and issued in Hong Kong. Dim sum bonds are attractive to foreign investors who desire exposure to yuan-denominated assets, but are restricted by China's capital controls from investing in domestic Chinese debt. The issuers of dim sum bonds are largely entities based in China or Hong Kong, and occasionally foreign companies. The term is derived from the Chinese cuisine that involves serving a variety of small delicacies and is especially popular in Hong Kong.
The dim sum bond market is still in its infancy but is expected to grow rapidly over time. As of October 2010, only $1.46 billion of dim sum bonds had been issued for the year, amounting to about 1% of $145 billion of yuan-denominated debt issued in mainland China.