China unveils sweeping rules for offshore IPOs in wake of Didi Global

BEIJING • China has unveiled sweeping regulations governing overseas share sales by the country's companies, taking one of its biggest steps to tighten scrutiny of international debuts in the wake of Didi Global's controversial listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) last June.

The regulations, issued by the country's securities watchdog, commerce ministry and top economic planning agency over the past week, cast more uncertainty over the prospects for overseas initial public offerings (IPOs) that had proceeded virtually unchecked for two decades.

The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index dropped 1.1 per cent overnight despite another all-time high for US shares, while the Hang Seng Tech Index slipped as much as 1.6 per cent yesterday, dragged down by losses in Tencent Holdings and Meituan.

Chinese firms in industries banned from foreign investment will need to seek a waiver from a negative list before proceeding for share sales, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.

Overseas investors in such companies would be forbidden from participating in management and their total ownership would be capped at 30 per cent, with a single investor holding no more than 10 per cent, according to the updated list taking effect from Jan 1.

Meanwhile, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) proposed on Friday that all Chinese companies seeking IPOs and additional share sales abroad would have to register with the securities regulator. Any company whose listing could pose a national security threat would be banned from proceeding.

The overhaul represents a major step taken by Beijing to tighten scrutiny on overseas listings, after ride-hailing giant Didi proceeded with its New York IPO despite regulatory concerns over the security of its data.

While regulators stopped short of a ban on IPOs by companies using the so-called Variable Interest Entities (VIE) structure, the new rules would make the process more difficult and costly.

It means Chinese firms seeking to list abroad via VIEs may need to complete the compliance procedure with the commerce and economic planning ministries in addition to a cyber-security review, before getting the clearance under the CSRC's proposed registration process, said NYU Law School adjunct professor Winston Ma.

The new edicts on VIEs and listings indicate China's efforts to rein in its massive Internet sector are not abating.

After cracking down on areas from e-commerce to fintech, after-school education, gaming and online content, Beijing's attentions have turned to the risks posed by tech start-ups as they seek access to foreign capital in a bid to expand.

In addition to the new rules on VIEs, regulators had previously proposed that companies with at least one million users undergo a cyber-security review before going public overseas.

VIEs have been a perennial worry for global investors, given their shaky legal status.

Pioneered by Sina Corp and its investment bankers during a 2000 IPO, the VIE framework has never been formally endorsed by Beijing.

It has nevertheless enabled Chinese companies to bypass rules on foreign investment in sensitive sectors, including the Internet industry. The structure allows a Chinese firm to transfer profits to an offshore entity - registered in places such as the Cayman Islands or British Virgin Islands - with shares that foreign investors can then own.

The requirements apply to new share listings and won't affect the foreign ownership of companies already listed overseas, according to the Ministry of Commerce and NDRC.

Companies using the VIE structure would be allowed to pursue overseas IPOs after meeting compliance requirements, the securities regulator said on Friday, without providing further details. Foreign securities firms that underwrite Chinese firms' overseas share sales are required to register with the CSRC and submit an annual report on the businesses.

That "may create new compliance challenges to the foreign underwriters, as they might need to follow Chinese rules once they are registered with CSRC", said Prof Ma.

It's all part of a year-long campaign to curb the breakneck growth of China's Internet sector and what Beijing has termed a "reckless" expansion of private capital.

Curbing VIEs from foreign listings would close a gap that's been used for two decades by technology giants from Alibaba Group Holding to Tencent to sidestep restrictions on foreign investment and list offshore.

The heightened scrutiny by Chinese regulators has been echoed by their US counterparts. The Securities and Exchange Commission this month announced its final plan for putting in place a new law that mandates foreign companies open their books to US scrutiny or risk being kicked off the NYSE and Nasdaq within three years.

China and Hong Kong are the only two jurisdictions that refuse to allow the inspections despite Washington requiring them since 2002.

For companies that seek to list under the VIE structure, the tougher oversight may affect their decision as to choosing the listing destinations, said Mr Xia Hailong, a lawyer with Shenlun law firm.

"They used to have no obstacle to overseas listing, but now they'll surely face much tougher scrutiny and the path to overseas IPOs will be much more difficult," Mr Xia said.

BLOOMBERG