Mainland residents will, for the first time, be allowed to directly invest in overseas securities under a pilot program to be launched in the northern port city of Tianjin.

Investors can use their foreign exchange or purchase foreign currency to open an account with Bank of China's Tianjin branch or Bank of China International Securities in Hong Kong, according to a statement on the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) website yesterday.

The investment amount will not be subject to the annual limit of $50,000 for an individual to purchase foreign exchange, as per earlier rules.