PPP flop hammers home China's crowding out crisis

Three is a crowd

Reuters

China SOE merger is tiny step dressed as a big one

Baby steps

China opens door further to yield tourists

Yield hunters

Regions will shore up China's smaller banks

Local heroes

China's bank watchdog is pushing on a balloon

Whack-a-mole

China insurers' worst habits go almost unchecked

Insuring trouble

China's M&A juggernaut runs into new traffic lightForeign groups dealing with potential Chinese buyers have a new regulatory headache. Conglomerate HNA Group has delayed a shareholder vote on its $6-billion bid for US electronics distributor Ingram Micro after the Shanghai Stock Exchange belatedly raised questions about the deal. It's another reason for companies to treat suitors from the People's Republic with scepticism.Tianjin Tianhai, one of HNA's listed subsidiaries, struck the surprise deal to buy Ingram Micro back in February. It's part of a spending spree in hotels, aviation and logistics that has seen the Hainan-based group announce deals worth more than $10 billion in the past year.Just one month before a deadline to complete the Ingram transaction, the Shanghai Stock Exchange sent the Chinese buyer a letter asking for extensive details on how the deal was financed. Though Tianjin Tianhai says it will make a "concerted effort" to reply, it has pushed back a shareholder vo

Traffic lights ahead

Wal-Mart learns limits of divide and rule in China

Social unrest

Disney and Wanda can both ride China's park boom

Frozen out?

There is no hurry for MSCI to embrace Chinese shares. The index compiler will shortly decide whether to add equities listed on the mainland to its global benchmarks. Though regulators have made some reforms, memories of last summer's mass stock suspensions and state intervention in the market are still fresh. Another delay would give China more reason to open up.Any decision to include Chinese "A-shares" in MSCI's Emerging Markets Index would be a gradual process. The US firm would probably start by counting just five per cent of the value of mainland stocks in its indices. AXA Investment Managers estimates that this would attract a $21-billion inflow of foreign funds - equivalent to a third of one per cent of the combined $6.6-trillion market capitalisation of A-shares listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen.However, the move would make Chinese shares a factor in the rise and fall of global indices, forcing fund managers to pay much closer attention to the country. Besides, the weighting woul

Fools rush in

Robots are more solution than problem for China

Automatic for the people

Labour costs drive China's $5-billion march for robots

Brave New World

China trade spat risks blowing out of proportion

Steely resolve

China's deep pockets give it edge in yuan fight

Ample firepower

China insurance boom shows need for quality assets

Going gangbusters

China's catch-all financial slogan: Belt and Road

Rachel Morarjee

Rachel Morarjee

Rachel Morarjee

Three is a crowd

Baby steps

Yield hunters

Local heroes

Whack-a-mole

Insuring trouble

Traffic lights ahead

Social unrest

Frozen out?

Fools rush in

Automatic for the people

Brave New World

Steely resolve

Steely resolve

Ample firepower

Going gangbusters

Belt Up