Coordinated efforts to regulate overseas listed Chinese companies: a historical perspective and recent developments

Abstract

Prestigious financial centres have attracted a number of Chinese companies seeking liquidity and international exposure (an example being the record- breaking IPO of Alibaba in the US). This article seeks to explore how the regulatory cooperation of securities commissions can be a solution to the concerns arising from the regulation of these companies, given the perceived weaknesses in the governance of Chinese companies and the difficulties of cross-border enforcement. One notable example of regulatory cooperation can be seen in how the regulators in Hong Kong and China have worked closely together. Meanwhile, other overseas exchanges have started to pay more attention to the regulatory issues arising from Chinese listings. In the literature on cross-listing, this paper is the first to present a holistic approach, taking into account both the importance and the popularity of cross-listing as well as the most recent regulatory challenges and solutions.