Artisan Partners will shutter its dedicated China equity strategy and fully liquidate the portfolio by the end of June, citing sustained headwinds from geopolitics, policy uncertainty and deteriorating investor sentiment, according top a report by Reuters.

The decision marks a significant retreat by a US institutional investor from direct China exposure and adds to a growing exodus of global managers reducing or exiting China-dedicated mandates.

A spokesperson for the firm confirmed the move, saying it reflects “an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment and a persistently challenging economic and market backdrop,” which have weighed heavily on flows into China-only strategies.

The China Post-Venture Strategy, Artisan’s fund focused on small- and mid-cap public and private companies in the region, managed $113m in AUM as of end-April. The fund has posted a net loss of 10.4% since inception in March 2021, according to the firm’s latest investor communication.

Artisan will maintain its Hong Kong office, which will continue to house select investment and trading professionals, though sources close to the matter told Reuters the Greater China investment team is being disbanded. The scale of headcount reduction has not been disclosed.

The move comes as US asset managers face rising political risk around China investments. Washington has imposed tighter controls on outbound investments in sensitive sectors including semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing, while a growing list of sanctioned Chinese entities has further constrained portfolio construction for US-based investors. High-profile listings, such as CATL’s $4.6bn Hong Kong share sale, have also faced access restrictions due to US regulatory frameworks.