China Can’t Live Without Wall Street. Rare US Agreement Shows Why

A new U.S.-China pact aims to end one of the largest commercial disputes: how to audit Chinese companies on Wall Street.
Last Friday, authorities from both countries announced an agreement that would allow US officials to inspect these firms’ audit files, meeting a long-running demand stateside and bringing relief to businesses and investors.
Over 160 Chinese companies may have avoided instant expulsion from the world’s largest stock market.

Regulators are testing the new deal quickly. Unidentified sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Alibaba, Yum China, and other companies will be inspected next month. The companies didn’t immediately comment.

Officials warn that the pact is simply the first step on a difficult topic, so Chinese enterprises aren’t out of the woods until access is guaranteed and a bigger agreement is reached. Experts think it won’t solve other US-China business flashpoints quickly.

US officials can scrutinize accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong that audit Chinese corporations’ books.

According to the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, this is the most comprehensive US-China transaction ever. Gary Gensler, head of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, says US investigators will visit China and Hong Kong “by mid-September” (SEC).
“Reaching an agreement on these pilot inspections was the fundamental test of whether the two sides could clinch a bigger deal,” said Lauren Gloudeman, Eurasia Group’s China director.
Drew Bernstein, co-chairman of Marcum Asia CPAs, believes the first key hurdle has been passed.
“China believes allowing certain of its enterprises to access US financial markets is in China’s interests, and regulators have made major concessions to reach an agreement,” he said.

Alibaba (BABA), Baidu (BIDU), and JD.com all at risk (JD).
US regulations state that corporations who don’t completely open their books will be banned from trading in 2024. This deadline is flexible.
Recent months have seen increased strain. This year, the SEC added more Chinese companies to its list of potential expulsions, and US lawmakers have called for an ultimatum.
China traditionally resisted letting foreign regulators review its accounting businesses, citing security concerns. Some Chinese enterprises have left US markets due to hostility.
Five state-owned companies left the NYSE this month, citing poor turnover and exorbitant prices. China Life Insurance, PetroChina, Sinopec, China Aluminum Corporation, and Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical delisted voluntarily.

Alibaba, perhaps the best-known Chinese business among Western investors, aims to elevate its Hong Kong listing to main status by year’s end.
The company, whose shares have traded on the NYSE since 2014, wants two primary listings.
Hong Kong is a popular destination for firms worried about Wall Street.
The delisting risk of US-listed Chinese stocks cannot be totally mitigated in the immediate future, according to Bocom International, the investment banking arm of Bank of Communications.
Dual primary or secondary listings in Hong Kong are “desirable” for now, they wrote Monday.

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The situation has forced corporations to reassess their strategies and slowed share issuing.
Eight Chinese companies have gone public in the US so far this year, compared to 37 in the same period last year.
Their value has plummeted. Dealogic data reveals US IPOs have raised $332 million so far in 2022, down from $13 billion a year ago.
The market collapse has produced a dismal IPO market for all companies.
Some Chinese gamers fear a regulatory crackdown.
Didi, China’s largest ride-hailing company, is a cautionary tale. The company went public in New York last year but delisted after the domestic crackdown.
If the US Congress sees China sticking to the audit accord, Chinese shares could rise.
“Chinese management teams remain highly intrigued and motivated to list in the US,” Bernstein added.
If the IPO market rebounds next year, Chinese listings could increase in 2023.

Analysts doubt the new audit deal will clear corporations.
Goldman Sachs analysts see a 50% possibility of delisting Chinese equities.

The SEC chairman warned last week that corporations face ejection if US officials can’t access their files.
“We’ll see,” he said.
Confirmation of planned inspections “makes it very probable, 90% likely, that the two sides reach a broad inspections deal before the end of the year or soon after,” Eurasia experts stated.
“The top US regulator won’t fly to Hong Kong if it doubts China’s promise”
Xiaomeng Lu, Eurasia’s director of geo-technology, warned Beijing might yet delist additional SOEs “These companies control national security-sensitive data.
“Rather than annual inspections, China may select this route “Her team reported.

Will this improve US-China relations?
Despite advances, the two superpowers will likely disagree on other topics.
“Though the deal is a favorable signal broadly, it does not have significant feed-through to the broader bilateral relationship,” Gloudeman, Eurasia’s China director, said.

“Geopolitical flashpoints like Taiwan and China’s alliance with Russia make a reset unlikely. Taiwanese and American elections could worsen the bilateral relationship.”

Bernstein said the purchase shows the limits of decoupling when links break.
“The US-China relationship reminds me of conflict-ridden marriages that can’t afford to terminate,” he remarked.

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