Training body chief: Accountants in hot demand

Qualified accountants with wider business skills have become the most sought-after group of professionals in the Chinese executive-jobs market, according to the head of one of the world's top accountancy training bodies.

Stephen Heathcote, executive director of markets at the London-based Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, said there is a massive demand for talented number-crunchers in the country, for roles in government and regulatory organizations, as well as in private companies.

But on top of the basic skills of managing a balance sheet or handling an audit, those with other complementary experience are in hottest demand, he said.