China plugs loopholes to curb risks in $49-trillion financial industry
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Beijing — China is tightening rules and imposing capital demands on sprawling empires such as Ant Group and China Evergrande Group in its latest attempt to curb risks in the nation’s $49-trillion financial industry.
The new regulations will require licences for nonfinancial companies that do business across at least two financial sectors, and which are designated as “financial holding companies”, the State Council said on its website on Sunday.
The rules will take effect on November 1 and apply to companies with a banking operation and financial assets of more than ¥500bn ($73.1bn), or those without banking operations but have financial assets exceeding ¥100bn.
Companies that meet the criteria but are denied regulatory approval to set up financial holding entities must sell their stakes in the financial companies or give up control, according to the rules.
Chinese authorities are plugging regulatory loopholes and stepping up their efforts to maintain stability as the Covid-19 pandemic pummels economic growth and bad debt piles up.
In 2018, the central bank identified Evergrande, HNA Group, Fosun International and Tomorrow Group, as well as billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant as financial holding companies, putting them under increased scrutiny because of their growing role in the nation’s money flows and financial plumbing.
Companies covered under the regulation will need at least ¥5bn in actual paid registered capital, and that should account for at least 50% of the combined registered capital of their controlled financial entities, according to the rules.
Consumer lending leader
Ant has emerged as a consumer lending leader in recent years with the help of an array of banks. The firm also operates payments systems, owns a stake in an online bank, and runs insurance and wealth management units.
In anticipation of tighter rules, Ant plans to apply for a financial holding licence through its Zhejiang Finance Credit Network Technology unit, according to the prospectus for its initial public offering released in August. Ant is considering putting certain financial entities into the arm to help reduce the potential capital needed under the proposed rules, people familiar with the matter said last year.
In its 2018 financial stability report, the central bank warned that regulating was becoming increasingly complex, with firms rapidly expanding in the financial sector through cross-border alliances and intricate corporate structures, tied together by connected transactions and investments in existing financial institutions.
At end-2016, about 70 central government-owned enterprises had a total of ...
The new regulations will require licences for nonfinancial companies that do business across at least two financial sectors, and which are designated as “financial holding companies”, the State Council said on its website on Sunday.
The rules will take effect on November 1 and apply to companies with a banking operation and financial assets of more than ¥500bn ($73.1bn), or those without banking operations but have financial assets exceeding ¥100bn.
Companies that meet the criteria but are denied regulatory approval to set up financial holding entities must sell their stakes in the financial companies or give up control, according to the rules.
Chinese authorities are plugging regulatory loopholes and stepping up their efforts to maintain stability as the Covid-19 pandemic pummels economic growth and bad debt piles up.
In 2018, the central bank identified Evergrande, HNA Group, Fosun International and Tomorrow Group, as well as billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant as financial holding companies, putting them under increased scrutiny because of their growing role in the nation’s money flows and financial plumbing.
Companies covered under the regulation will need at least ¥5bn in actual paid registered capital, and that should account for at least 50% of the combined registered capital of their controlled financial entities, according to the rules.
Consumer lending leader
Ant has emerged as a consumer lending leader in recent years with the help of an array of banks. The firm also operates payments systems, owns a stake in an online bank, and runs insurance and wealth management units.
In anticipation of tighter rules, Ant plans to apply for a financial holding licence through its Zhejiang Finance Credit Network Technology unit, according to the prospectus for its initial public offering released in August. Ant is considering putting certain financial entities into the arm to help reduce the potential capital needed under the proposed rules, people familiar with the matter said last year.
In its 2018 financial stability report, the central bank warned that regulating was becoming increasingly complex, with firms rapidly expanding in the financial sector through cross-border alliances and intricate corporate structures, tied together by connected transactions and investments in existing financial institutions.
At end-2016, about 70 central government-owned enterprises had a total of ...