In the newly created role, Yu will be responsible for overall leadership and strategic direction at Franklin Templeton's China onshore business, according to a company statement.

Yu was most recently chairman of the board at Nomura Orient International Securities Co., the Japanese firm's China securities joint venture, and managing director at Nomura Securities in China.

She will report to Franklin Templeton's Asia Pacific chairman Ben Meng, and relocate from Beijing to Shanghai, where the U.S. asset manager's investment management wholly foreign-owned enterprise is located.

Franklin Templeton currently runs asset management joint ventures - Franklin Templeton Sealand Fund Management in Shanghai and China Life Franklin Asset Management in Hong Kong.

(Reporting by Selena Li; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)