China Issues Stringent Rules to Tighten Listing Controls and Tackle Financial Fraud

China’s stock regulator issued two sets of rules Friday that will tighten listing requirements, crack down on financial fraud by listed companies, encourage listed firms to increase dividend payouts and buy back shares.

The rules came shortly after Wu Qing, chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), promised to strictly hold the IPO threshold and make every effort to block fraudulent companies from the capital market, at a press conference during the national legislative meetings known as the Two Sessions last week.