Corporate Governance in China

The nature of corporate governance is a key determinant of corporate performance, and thereby of a country's overall economic performance, and corporate governance is therefore particularly important for China as it reforms, and grows, its economy. This book, based on extensive original economic analysis, examines key questions relating to corporate governance in China, including the relationship between ownership structure and corporate performance, the determinants of capital structure, and the nature of contemporary governance structures. It concludes - interestingly and controversially - amongst other things that corporate performance is positively related to ownership concentration, but negatively related to state ownership, and that contemporary corporate governance structures are heavily dependent on previous structures in the centrally-planned economy and on the path of transition to the market economy.

Based on extensive original economic analysis, Chenexamines key questions relating to corporate governance in China, including the relationship between ownership structure and corporate performance, the determinants of capital structure, and the nature of contemporary governance structures. It concludes that corporate performance is positively related to ownership concentration, but negatively related to state ownership, and that contemporary corporate governance structures are heavily dependent on previous structures in the centrally-planned economy and on the path of transition to the market economy.

Preface Acknowledgements Table of Contents Index of Tables Index of Figures Abbreviations 1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Approaches to Corporate Governance 3. The Evolution of Corporate Governance in China 4. The Effect of Ownership Structure on the Underpricing of Initial Public Offerings 5. Ownership Structure as a Mechanism of Corporate Governance 6. The Determinants of Capital Structure 7. Chinese Corporate Groups: A Perspective from Governance Structure 8. General Conclusions and Future Work References

Jian Chen is currently a senior lecturer in Finance at Business School, the University of Greenwich. He is an active researcher in the issues of corporate governance, corporate finance and their applications in the Chinese economy. He received his PhD in Finance from King's College, the University of London. Jian Chen is the President of the Chinese Economic Association in the UK (2003-2004).