By the end of September 2002, there were 1,212 companies listed on
the domestic securities market with a total share value of 4.5
trillion yuan (about US$543.7 billion), nearly half of China's GDP,
and 68.5 million stock investment accounts, according to the latest
statistics.
In
some respects, these figures indicate that great changes have taken
place in China's securities market over the past decade. Starting
from nothing, the securities market is now of crucial importance to
China's economy as whole. The foreign media has made such remarks
as "it has taken only 10-plus years for China to achieve
developments that took developed countries over a century to
attain."
At
the beginning of the 1990s, when joint-stock systems and the
securities market were first introduced, many Chinese were still
suspicious of their characteristics -- whether it was the product
of Capitalism or Socialism. Nowadays, people realize that
joint-stock systems are an advanced management technique, which
reflect modern socialized production laws. China's securities
market, meanwhile, has become one of the most vigorous markets in
the world.
China began its trial in Shenzhen and Shanghai ten years ago,
though the two newly established securities markets were of
relatively insignificant size and had little influence at that
time. Once the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
and State Council extended the stock issuance system nationwide in
October 1992, a lot of enterprises went public after relevant
reforms were approved, and listed companies spread throughout every
province, municipality and autonomous region.
With the update of trading systems and telecommunications
facilities, security transaction networks have quickly spread all
over the country, attracting greater numbers of investors. Through
the support of government, the number of institutional investors
has risen, significantly improving the investment structure. In
addition, 19 fund management companies were established one after
another, holding total assets of 100 billion yuan (US$12.1
billion). Institutional investors have now become the stabilizers
of the securities market, while the notion of rational investment
has taken root in the minds of many people.
The strengthening of securities brokerages can be demonstrated
through the following statistics. In 1992, there were only three
national securities companies with total registered capital of 1
billion yuan (US$121 million). By the end of June this year, there
were 118 security companies, 22 of which have registered capital of
over 1 billion yuan (US$121 million), 2,700 business departments
and over 100,000 employees. Relevant industries, such as accounting
practices, law firms, evaluation and consulting organizations, have
also developed quickly. Meanwhile, the development of securities
brokerage houses has further promoted the securities market.
Currently, bonds, mutual funds as well as stocks are all open to
trade on the market. The B share market has begun to expand, and H
share, N share and S share markets have been created in succession.
In addition, China's securities authority has strengthened
exchanges and cooperation with its counterparts in other parts of
the world.
The securities market is playing an increasingly important role in
raising capital, optimizing resource allocation and rectifying the
country's economic structure. After a decade of operation, laws and
regulations have confirmed the importance of a joint-structure
system, which has further boosted the reform of state-owned
enterprise (SOE). Information disclosure system, board member
credit liability system and transparent accounting rules, which are
required by the securities authority, have indirectly promoted
corporate structure adjustments and the establishment of modern
enterprise systems. The securities market also activates private
capital, boosts the private economy and accelerates China's
opening-up.
The Securities Law of the People's Republic of China, promulgated
on July 1, 1999, sets a milestone of standardization for China's
securities market. With the establishment of over 300 relevant
laws, regulations and provisional rules, China has now set up a
preliminarily legal system, covering securities, future exchanges
and funds, forming the core of Corporate Law and Securities Law. It
has secured the interest of stock investors, market orders and
promoted healthy development.
The vertical integration of the national securities markets has
increased the efficiency and authority of securities watchdogs.
Based on the principle of market-oriented supervision, the stock
issuance verification system has replaced the former examination
and approval system, and the delisting system taken the place of
the earlier PT (Particular Transfer) system.
The next one to two decades will be crucial for China's securities
markets. The securities markets will embrace a bright future only
if they standardize market developments.
(China.org.cn by Tang Fuchun, November 9, 2002)