The BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA) has been a fairly disappointing performer in 2022 thus far. Year to date, this ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) has lost a painful 26.22% of its value. It has fallen from around $9.40 a unit at the start of the year to the $6.95 we see today.

So it might come as something of a surprise to learn that this fund was in the top three best-performing ASX ETFs of November. Yep, over the month just passed, the BetaShares Asia Tigers ETF rose from $5.68 to the $6.74 price it closed at yesterday. That's a gain worth an impressive 18.66%.

As it happens, all three of the ASX 's highest-performing ETFs last month had large positions in the Chinese markets.

In addition to the BetaShares Asia Tigers ETF, the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (ASX: IZZ) and the iShares Asia 50 ETF (ASX: IAA) both had stellar months too.

This optimism could reflect anticipation that China could, at last, begin to relinquish its long-held and ultra-strict 'zero-COVID' policies that the country has stuck to since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

China has been facing rolling protests in recent weeks over its lockdown-happy policies. Those are policies that have been abandoned in most other countries of the world.

So if China does indeed start to open up, is the BetaShares Asia Tigers ETF a good way to play this reopening?

Is the BetaShares Asia Tigers ETF a bet on a reopened China?

Well, let's look at the fund's underlying portfolio to gauge this.

So the BetaShares Asia Tigers ETF doesn't just invest in China and Chinese companies. It is exposed to other countries like Taiwan, South Korea and India as well.

Saying that, almost half of this ETF's portfolio is weighted towards Chinese and Hong-Kong listed shares. Its third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth largest shares are all Chinese. They include names like Alibaba, Tencent Holdings, Pinduoduo and JD.com.

So while the BetaSahres Asia Tigers ETF is not a China pure-play, it is certainly highly exposed to the Chinese markets. The past month has proven that it is a valid investment for anyone looking to potentially benefit from a Chinese reopening. Although perhaps not quite as China-exposed as the iShares China Large-Cap ETF.

But remember, China has to officially reopen first. That is certainly not a given at this point, whatever the markets are hoping for.

The post Is the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASIA) an ASX buy for China's reopening? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This year has not been kind to the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA). This technology-focused ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) was arguably a favourite of growth investors for many years, thanks to some impressive returns in its early days.

But this year has been especially brutal for this ETF. Since the dawn of 2022, BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers units have lost a painful 35%. That's based on yesterday's closing price of $6.15.

Since the ETF's all-time high of over $14 a unit that we saw back in early 2021, the fund is down more than 56%.

Now, one might assume this may have something to do with China. After all, the world's second-largest economy has arguably been undergoing some changes in investors' perceptions in the past year or two.

Between trade wars with the United States, tensions over the Taiwan Straight, and the country's zero-COVID policies, investors have had a lot of fat to chew.

But exactly how exposed to the Chinese market is the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF?

How exposed is the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF to China?

Well, let's go to the source. According to the provider, as of 30 September, the Asia Tigers ETF's portfolio was weighted 55.2% towards companies domiciled in China. That was far higher than any other country. That includes Taiwan at 20.2% and South Korea at 15.9%.

We can see this reflected in the ETF's major holdings. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group was by far the fund's largest individual holding. It accounted for a whopping 10.2% weighting in its portfolio.

Another Chinese giant – Tencent Holdings – made up 9.3%, while Pinduoduo Inc and JD.com Inc accounted for a further 6.1% and 5%, respectively.

So we can rather decisively conclude that this ETF is heavily exposed to the Chinese markets.

And this partly explains why this ETF has had such a rough trot in 2022 thus far. Alibaba stock is down a nasty 36.35% so far this year. Tencent is faring even worse, sitting at a 45.5% loss.

Thus, it seems that the Asia Tigers ETF has been hit hard by its heavy exposure to the Chinese markets in 2022 so far. But who knows what the future might bring.

The BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF charges a management fee of 0.67% per annum. It has now returned an average of 3.21% per annum since its inception in September 2018.

The post How exposed is the Asia Technology Tigers ETF to China? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.