Should China finally be a staple part of an investor’s portfolio?

In last week's newsletter I wrote to ask members if there were any particular areas of interest that they would like me to explore. Among the many responses (please keep them coming in) was the following question:

"I've been reading recently about Chinese shares being opened up more widely to outside investment. Your view on it would be great plus the implications for our investments as I've noticed China making the Best of the Best list. I see China as a good very long term bet. Is this proof of China's arrival as a staple part of investors' portfolio? Loving your work"

This is a really interesting question and I’ve broken down my response into sections in order to make it easier to follow.

Chinese equities hit the big-time?

Last week the MSCI finally decided, after years of procrastination, to allow Chinese A-shares to be included in their MSCI Emerging Market Index for the first time.