The nature of corporate governance is a key determinant of corporate performance and, therefore, of a country's overall economic power. This title examines key questions relating to corporate governance in China, exploring differences between private and state-owned companies.

This book examines corporate governance in city commercial banks in China. By the end of 2008, there were 136 such banks, 13 of which had foreign partners, and this book clearly demonstrates the positive effect of these foreign partnerships on corporate governance practices, in addition to financial performance. With evidence from extensive interviews with 10 city commercial banks in China, Michael Tan explores the different models of corporate governance, and in turn, asks which model is most suitable to China, how are Chinese authorities overcoming problems with corporate governance, and how do these problems compare with those in other transition economies?

Chinese banks have been making headlines recently, but what lies beneath? Banking in China appears different. What explains the current arrangement? What can we expect from such a banking industry in the future? This book answers these two questions in a fully revised second edition and contributes to a new understanding of Chinese banks.

"This is a very timely book. With the recapitalization and reform of China's banking sector now well under way, the banks are on the brink of a new era of growth and expansion. This work is the definitive reference on the banking sector in China, and is an essential tool for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of financial intermediation on the Mainland. It sets out the facts, free of the judgment calls that so often cloud the true picture of the health of China's banking system." --Dr. David K.P. Li, Chairman and Chief Executive, The Bank of East Asia, Limited "As China continues its impressive pace of economic growth, the rest of the world is constantly reassessing the opportunities and challenges it presents. This book is the first official report on the status of China's financial services industry and financial markets. For the first time, the international community gets access to the same information that the Chinese government uses in making key policies. Such unique insights make this book an essential read for business leaders, investors, policy makers, scholars, and anyone who is interested in understanding China's profound impact on businesses and consumers globally." --Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman & CEO, C.V. Starr & Co. "This is the first book that introduces all aspects of the Chinese banking and financial markets to international audiences. From its developmental history to its contemporary challenges, China's banking and finance markets are presented, explored and analyzed with great detail and in great depth. Both the richness of the data and the scholarly strength of the methodology are a milestone. China's increasing participation in global financial markets makes this book a must read for all financial professionals worldwide." --Lefei Liu, Chief Investment Officer, ChinaLife Insurance

A comprehensive, in-depth, and authoritative guide to China's financial system The Chinese economy is one of the most important in the world, and its success is driven in large part by its financial system. Though closely scrutinized, this system is poorly understood and vastly different than those in the West. The Handbook of China’s Financial System will serve as a standard reference guide and invaluable resource to the workings of this critical institution. The handbook looks in depth at the central aspects of the system, including banking, bonds, the stock market, asset management, the pension system, and financial technology. Each chapter is written by leading experts in the field, and the contributors represent a unique mix of scholars and policymakers, many with firsthand knowledge of setting and carrying out Chinese financial policy. The first authoritative volume on China’s financial system, this handbook sheds new light on how it developed, how it works, and the prospects and direction of significant reforms to come. Contributors include Franklin Allen, Marlene Amstad, Kaiji Chen, Tuo Deng, Hanming Fang, Jin Feng, Tingting Ge, Kai Guo, Zhiguo He, Yiping Huang, Zhaojun Huang, Ningxin Jiang, Wenxi Jiang, Chang Liu, Jun Ma, Yanliang Mao, Fan Qi, Jun Qian, Chenyu Shan, Guofeng Sun, Xuan Tian, Chu Wang, Cong Wang, Tao Wang, Wei Xiong, Yi Xiong, Tao Zha, Bohui Zhang, Tianyu Zhang, Zhiwei Zhang, Ye Zhao, and Julie Lei Zhu.

China is an increasingly influential emerging economy that is currently attracting the attention of academics, practitioners, and policy makers. This book is a collection of cutting edge research findings on issues relating to the experiences and challenges of China's capital market development.

The global financial crisis has led to more and more focus on corporate governance and financial institutions. There has been much coverage in the media about various corporate governance related issues in banks and other financial institutions, such as executive directors' remuneration and bankers' bonuses, board composition and board diversity. This book, dedicated to the corporate governance of banks and other financial institutions, makes a timely and accessible contribution to the literature in this area. The contributors are experts in their field with in-depth knowledge of the various countries including Italy, the UK, Germany, the US, China, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Australia and Nigeria, plus a chapter on Islamic financial institutions, covered in this book. Overall, the engagingly written chapters highlight many of the shortcomings of corporate governance which have led to financial scandals, whilst indicating areas where corporate governance can be strengthened and improved. Adding depth and accessibility to existing corporate governance books, this Handbook is ideal as a teaching and learning tool for undergraduate and postgraduate students. For directors and the general business and wider stakeholder communities concerned with corporate governance, it is an essential resource. Contributors:C.L. Ahmadjian, K.-J. Chang, M.J. Conyon, F. Cuomo, H. Farag, L. He, H.-Y Liang, I. Love, C.A. Mallin, C. Ogbechie, B. Okhunjanov, G. Pearson, S. Prigge, R.F. Schiozer, O.K. Tam, P.R.S. Terra, A. Zattoni

This book is informative and readable. It will be of interest to anyone wanting to learn about the development of the Chinese economy in general and the reforms of state-owned enterprises in particular. The data and in-depth discussion presented in the book will appeal to academics as well as policymakers. Yin-Fang Zhang, Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy China watchers will welcome a book which provides a detailed insight into the two pillars of that economy: the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the state-owned banks (SOBs). This is a scholarly work, rich in detail. Shelagh Heffernan, The Financial Regulator For China to sustain her transformation requires that she tackle reform of her state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and banks. This book comprehensively assesses the scale of the problem, reviews previous reforms and suggested solutions. Finally the authors propose their own reform agenda, sensitive to Chinese realities. Michael Artis, European University Institute, Italy This is an excellent study of the nexus between the effects of party control, the soft budget of state-owned enterprise (SOEs) and the financial fragility of the state-owned banking system (SOBs) in China. It is both sympathetic and knowledgeable about the problems of achieving reform and progress. Beautifully written, it should become the most influential work in this field in the English-speaking world. Charles A.E. Goodhart, London School of Economics, UK This book s starting point is that after two decades of experiments, during which other transition economies have effectively privatised all of their former state enterprises, China is still endeavouring to find a way to reinvent and re-engineer its own state-owned economic establishments. The authors explore these reforms along with the problems of China s state-owned banks, which have long been troubled by the adverse loans of Chinese enterprises and face foreign competition in 2007 under China s WTO commitments. Drawing on wide-ranging case studies of enterprise reform, Becky Chiu and Mervyn Lewis combine their extensive experience to give an authoritative account of China s enterprise and bank reform agenda, involving property rights, improved corporate governance and stimulating enterprise. This book will be of great interest to business economists, academic economists and those following the development of the Chinese economy.

As China began its economic reforms in the late 1970s and made a transition from planned to a market economy, corporate governance of the banking sector became an increasingly pressing issue. Further, in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crises in the late 1990s, Chinese authorities became acutely aware of the importance of corporate governance to ensure that their banking system would not suffer similar fates to those of other Asian countries. This book examines corporate governance in city commercial banks, which are the main source of loans to the dynamic small and medium enterprises that are crucial to the development of China’s economy. By the end of 2008, there were 136 city commercial banks in China, 13 of which had foreign partners, and this book clearly demonstrates the positive effect of these foreign partnerships on corporate governance practices, in addition to financial performance. With evidence from extensive interviews with 10 city commercial banks in China, Michael Tan explores the different models of corporate governance, and in turn, asks which model is most suitable to China, how are Chinese authorities overcoming problems with corporate governance, and how do these problems compare with those in other transition economies? Whilst the primary focus of this study is on China's city commercial banks, there are lessons that apply much more broadly to the industry and it therefore will be invaluable to foreign banking institutions wishing to invest in China. This book will also be of great appeal to students and scholars of Chinese business and economics, corporate governance and banking.