Fintech must serve the real economy, Chinese regulator says
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
China will support only those financial technology businesses that benefit the real economy, a top regulator says, as the government becomes more cautious about the financial risks encouraged by the fast-growing sector.
In a speech at the Asian Financial Forum on Monday, Jiang Yang, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said the development of fintech should support the wider economy, instead of profiting only “a small group of people.”
Jiang’s remarks echoed Chinese authorities’ increasing unease about the ever-changing industry, as regulators step up efforts to stabilize the financial system.
The People’s Bank of China last September outlawed initial coin offerings, a means of crowdfunding using cryptocurrency, followed by a halt of virtual currency trading on domestic exchanges. The fast-growing and loosely regulated online person-to-person lending platforms and underground fundraising activities also unsettle financial regulators.
Photo courtesy of John Twohig.
Source: Nikkei Asian Review (link opens in a new window)
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