An investor looks at an electronic trading screen at a brokerage in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Asinewsphoto by Su Yang] |
Remarks made by China's new securities chief show the government's resolve to deepen capital market reform, analysts said on Sunday.
His comments may also help to dispel investors' concerns that the recent stock market volatility may compromise these efforts, they said.
On Saturday, Liu Shiyu, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, reassured investors that China will continue to proceed with reforms, including the registration-based initial public offering system.
Speaking at a news conference, he said the country must adopt the system eventually, but it will be a lengthy process and will be launched only when market conditions and the legal environment "are appropriate".
The planned change to a registration-based IPO system from an approval-based one has been viewed as one of the most important reforms that could help China to develop a mature and market-driven stock market.
Zhang Zhizhou, general manager of DH Fund Management Co, said: "One focus of investors' attention is whether the regulator will continue to push reforms. Liu responded to these concerns, helping to stabilize market expectations and boosting the confidence of domestic and international investors in the Chinese economy."
Liu also impressed fund managers, analysts and retail investors on Saturday as being a humorous, down-to-earth and candid person who is good at communicating with the public.
Hong Hao, chief strategist at BOCOM International, said, "Overall, his assessments are candid, but it is too early to judge his performance."
Hong said Liu's comments may indicate that the timing of the IPO reform needs to be better calculated.
According to some analysts, short-term fears over the reform are that it will influence the market by creating a huge supply of new shares.