LONDON, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) welcomed on Monday China's Huatai Securities, a technology-enabled securities group, as the first issuer using the Shanghai-London Stock Connect mechanism.

According to an LSEG statement, Huatai Securities raised 1.54 billion U.S. dollars through the sale of global depository receipts (GDRs) to international investors.

Under the Shanghai-London Stock Connect mechanism, London-listed corporations are able to issue GDRs in Shanghai, while Shanghai-listed firms can issue GDRs in London.

Zhou Yi, chairman and president of Huatai Securities, said: "Shanghai-London Stock Connect is the first of its kind to directly link the Chinese and European markets and a strategic component of China's capital markets opening up."

"The programme offers us access to one of the deepest and most influential capital markets in the world and provides fungibility between the GDRs and the A-shares," Zhou said.

"The offering will improve our core competitiveness by supporting the growth of our international business, further expanding our overseas footprint, and strengthening our capital position," said Zhou, adding that "we are pleased to be the first issuer to tap this new market of enormous potential and unprecedented opportunity."

Don Robert, chairman of LSEG, congratulated Huatai Securities for being the first issuer to start trading through Shanghai-London Stock Connect.

"Shanghai-London Stock Connect brings together two of the world's largest capital markets, allowing established Chinese issuers to raise capital from London's global liquidity pool and global investors to access China A-share instruments from outside Greater China," said Robert.

"Established London-listed issuers will now also benefit from access to China's deep capital markets," said Robert, adding that "All parties see the long-term benefits for companies, investors and the global economy in establishing a trading link between our two markets."

London Stock Exchange is home to over 2,000 issuers from more than 100 countries.