Manulife-Sinochem Life Insurance, a joint venture led by Canada's largest insurance company, has received regulatory approval to expand its presence in China.

The subsidiary of Manulife Financial has received approval from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission to operate in Tianjin, a province southeast of Beijing with a population of 11.8 million people.

Manulife-Sinochem, a joint venture between Manulife and China Foreign Economic and Trade Trust & Investment Co., will now operate in 11 Chinese provinces with 11,500 staff and agents serving 450,000 customers.