China mulls single 'super-regulator'

摘要

China is considering bringing together its banking, insurance and securities regulators into a single super-commission, following the summer's stock market crash that was blamed in part on poor inter-agency coordination. China's stock markets dropped by more than 40% between mid-June and August, forcing Beijing to take unprecedented measures to prevent a wider panic, embarrassing the government and delaying planned improvements to nascent derivatives and futures markets. The uncoordinated policy response prompted senior leadership to begin internal discussions about merging the three main financial regulators, part of a broader goal to reform China's markets, said a senior official at one of the regulators involved in the process. A financial services executive who is in frequent contact with regulators, and a source close to the senior leadership confirmed that discussions were taking place. Industry insiders have expected a shake-up in the regulatory apparatus in the months following the crash, and sources told Reuters that Beijing had already begun exploring a replacement for CHINA SECURITIES REGULATORY COMMISSION head Xiao Gang.