Norms eased to lift foreign investments

Ministry: Efforts aimed at improving governance structure of listed firms

China plans to significantly lower the threshold for foreign investors' strategic investment in listed companies to introduce more overseas capital and practical management experience as part of the overall efforts to improve the governance structure of listed firms, the Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement on Thursday.

The ministry and other government branches, including the China Securities Regulatory Commission, have made 29 draft amendments to the existing Measures for Strategic Investment by Foreign Investors in Listed Companies, such as clarifying the application scope, lowering investment threshold and increasing investment channels in the A-share market, and have actively solicited public opinion on the draft revised rules.

In the A-share market, shares are denominated in renminbi and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.