USEUROPEAFRICAASIA 中文双语Français
Opinion
Home / Opinion / Opinion Line

Wider financial opening-up shows confidence in abilities

Updated: 2017-11-14 07:34

Wider financial opening-up shows confidence in abilities

Investors look at computer screens showing stock information at a brokerage in Shanghai, August 13, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

AT A NEWS CONFERENCE in Beijing on Friday, China's vice-finance minister said that China will increase the share ceiling for foreign investments in securities, capital, futures and asset management companies from 25 percent to 51 percent, and abolish the upper limit in three years. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

The reform, if it goes ahead smoothly, means foreign capital will be able to directly open and run exclusively-funded security, asset management and futures enterprises in China in three years.

The opening-up of China's financial market started after its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. As of 2012, China had opened its main financial sectors, including banking, securities, insurance, futures, lease, fund, trust, asset management, bond, financial investment and financial consumption, to foreign investors.

But the opening-up process has been gradual, with strict upper limits on the share holding ratios for foreign investors.

The government has vowed on a number of occasions to accelerate financial reforms, especially supply-side structural reforms.

Many people said worryingly "the wolf is coming" when China opened up its banking industry to foreign banks after it became a member of the WTO. In 2000, there was not a single Chinese bank among the world's top 10. In 2013, four of the top 10 banks were Chinese.

Opening-up and reform did not weed out the Chinese banking industry, but made it stronger. China's prudence in financial reforms is paying off, because it ensures a win-win situation for both foreign and domestic players in the process, while minimizing the uncertainties and risks that are often associated with financial reforms.

Sixteen years after joining the WTO, and now the world's second-largest economy, China has the confidence and capabilities to take the initiative and carry out more financial reforms.

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US