Thresholds on controlling shareholders of securities companies are lowered, critical information infrastructure may require the use of commercial cryptography and Shenzhen Free Trade Zone loosens restrictions on foreign investment in construction projects.
New court interpretations and a series of court cases with stiff sentences reflect Chinese authorities' determination to bring insider trading to heel.
China has released a new negative list with fewer sectors off limits to foreign investment; Hong Kong’ regulators will now have access to Chinese companies’ audit records; and foreign ownership caps on Chinese financial firms will be lifted by 2020.
The national and FTZ negative lists are downsized relaxing foreign investment in business such as cinema operations, and the new Catalogue of Encouraged Foreign Investment in Industry supports foreign investment in high-end manufacturing.
The pause agreed in the U.S.-China trade war at the recent G20 meeting, reflects in part the potency of the U.S. Entity List in targeting Chinese firms such as Huawei.
In a landmark case, an ex-UBS banker was jailed for nine years for cross-border insider trading; the China-Japan ETF Connectivity scheme was launched with four index-tracking ETFs; and the CSRC is considering lifting profitability rules on listed company M&A activities.
