Quotable

With Alibaba's business spreading its wings to more industries and growing into a magnificent size, it needs to have the power to sway media coverage to protect itself."

Tian Hou, an analyst at TH Capital in Beijing, saying Alibaba's investment interest in Hong Kong-based SCMP Group Ltd, which publishes the English-language newspaper South China Morning Post, is "very likely".

"The three regulatory commissions can remain, and they can be made responsible for micro prudential supervision of financial institutions. Improving regulatory functions is more important than just merging organizations."

Jiao Jinpu, chairman of the Shanghai Gold Exchange and a former PBOC official, says a macro prudential supervisory framework led by the central bank would ensure that there are no systemic financial crises.

"Overseas security risks for Chinese enterprises have intensified, as increasing number of enterprises expand across national borders to tap the global market."

Shen Danyang, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 12/04/2015 page13)