Emerging Global Shares could not have picked better timing with the release of its new China Infrastructure Fund (CHXX: News). Amidst stimulus efforts undertaken around the world, investors have been eying infrastructure names as sound investments in a shaky economic climate.

The China Infrastructure Index ETF will invest in the 30 largest companies that center around infrastructure development within China’s borders. Companies in the mix have an average market capitalization of $8.3 billion, making the ETF a purely large-cap investment, according to Forbes. The fund holds sectors including real estate, metals and mining, construction, and engineering.

The fund will trade at an annual expense of just .85% and was launched at $20 per share. The fund advanced 3.8% in its first day of trading on the NYSE Arca exchange, with volume of just under 14,000 shares.

What is good enough for individual investors is apparently good enough for governments. A fresh look into China’s holdings has revealed a staggering $9.6 billion invested in US traded ETFs.

Although most of the Chinese holdings are in pure indexing funds like the SPDR (SPY: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News) and Powershares QQQ (QQQQ: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News), the funds were also diverted into less traditional funds, such as the MarketVectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News).

China’s largest holding is the iShares S&P Global Materials Index Fund (MXI: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News), which corresponds with its aggressive purchases of foreign commodity producers and comprises $254 of its nearly $10 billion portfolio, according to The Street.

China’s holdings showcase what individual investors have known for years: exchange-traded funds are a convenient and inexpensive way to buy a variety of stocks across whole sectors.

Continuing to play on the popularity of regional investments, iShares is expanding its line of MSCI-tracking products with the addition of four new country-specific offerings. The funds target popular investment destinations, including Poland, China, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

The four new funds are as follows:

1. iShares MSCI China Small-Cap Index Fund

2. iShares MSCI Poland Investable Market Index Fund

3. iShares MSCI Indonesia Investable Market Index Fund

4. iShares MSCI New Zealand Investable Market Index Fund

The iShares China Small-Cap Index Fund will invest in the bottom 14% of stocks by market cap, according to an SEC filing, and the ETF will include more than 200 stocks in a number of industries. The iShares MSCI Poland Investable Market Index Fund will track a benchmark of 63 stocks in the top level of market capitalization.

The two new Indonesia and New Zealand funds will invest in the largest stocks by market cap in each respective country, with the Indonesia fund including 41 stocks, followed by 22 for New Zealand. The iShares MSCI New Zealand Investable Market Index Fund will be the first country-specific fund with a focus on New Zealand based equities. No tickers or annual fees have been announced.

First Trust has filed with the SEC to create three new funds - two commodities and one emerging market - that will seek to latch onto the growing market for the two asset classes.

First Trust filed for the following three ETFs with the SEC:

1. First Trust BICK Index Fund

2. First Trust ISE Global Copper Index Fund

3. First Trust ISE Global Platinum Index Fund

The First Trust BICK Index Fund (BICK) is a play on the commonly associated growth countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China. However, the ETF will exclude Russia in favor of South Korea, according to the SEC filing. The fund will equally weigh each country with 25% of the portfolio.

The First Trust ISE Global Copper Index Fund and First Trust ISE Global Platinum Index Fund will track firms involved in mining, exploration, and refining copper and platinum. The platinum fund will be expanded to include companies involved in similar metals, such as palladium, osmium, iridium, ruthenium and rhodium. Each fund will trade with a .70% annual fee.

The floodgates to the Shanghai stock market may soon open for foreign firms, which have been unable to list on the popular Asian exchange. The listing of foreign firms and exchange-traded funds would happen under a myriad of changes coming soon to Shanghai.

Innovation is the name of the game for the Shanghai stock market. The exchange will soon launch a series of new indices, as well as offer futures and margin trading, Shanghai Daily reports. The WSJ also reports that foreign companies and exchange-traded funds will have an opportunity to list at a “suitable time.”

Opening up China for new investments allows US fund producers access to more than one billion new investors. With so many Chinese citizens poised to enter the fray of exchange-traded fund investing, domestic investors should anticipate a slew of new ETFs in niches previously too small to target.