Regulation
VC-backed Chinese AI companies hit by US blacklisting
Eight Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups have been blacklisted by the US government. Several have received PE and VC funding, including SenseTime and Megvii Technology.
US tech regulation: Green card or red card?
Compliance with US regulations on foreign investment in critical technologies is forcing Chinese VC players to examine their fund structure and governance as well as their deployment strategies
China SOE investment: Uphill battles
Reform efforts in China’s state-owned enterprise space have experimented in mixed ownership with mixed results. Private equity investors see significant opportunity but must proceed with caution
China ends quotas on QFII, RQFII inbound investment schemes
China’s regulator announced it would abolish its QFII and RQFII investment quotas, giving global investors unrestrained access to the country’s capital markets.
India guaranteed return clauses: No sure things
Guaranteed minimum return clauses, and their impact on entrepreneurs, have drawn renewed scrutiny in Indian private equity. Investors say a reassessment of their contribution to value-add is long overdue
China investment regulation: Context clues
Revisions to China’s negative investment list show the country remains committed to widening access, but consistency in enforcement and clarity around political issues are significant challenges for investors
Women on corporate boards: Finding a voice
Investor pressure and industry lobbying has contributed to a rise in female representation on corporate boards. While quotas work for some, they aren’t necessarily the silver bullet
China tech board makes volatile debut
The initial batch of companies chosen to list on China’s technology innovation board – known as the Star Market – posted an average gain of 140% on their first day of trading on July 22, although almost all were pared back in the opening hours of...
China VC and US regulation: Defensive positions
Chinese venture capital firms and strategic investors have found their path to US tech start-ups barred by new regulations. It is possible to find a way around, but it requires compromise
China-US decoupling: Silicon curtain
Evidence is mounting that US and Chinese ecosystems for advanced technologies are careening toward an antagonistic decoupling. Investors are philosophical and pragmatic
China-US trade: Suboptimal outcomes
The China-US trade war appears set to enter new territory as legislators contemplate financial sector clampdowns including stock exchange listing restrictions. Investors are bracing for the worst
Greater Bay Area: Promise keepers
The Greater Bay Area initiative plans to speed up regional integration in the Pearl River Delta, with Hong Kong set to be a major beneficiary. Questions remain about the government’s ability to follow through
In scope: Asian fund managers and Cayman
Asian private equity firms may start moving their fund management entities away from the Cayman Islands due to new economic substance requirements. Is Hong Kong ready to accept them?
China-US trade: Opening gambit
Investors see short-term challenges in the ongoing China-US trade conflict, but longer-term opportunities are expected to emerge from the decoupling of the two economic giants
Vietnam banking: Where credit is due
Vietnam’s economic future is tied to an attractive but immature and constrained banking sector. Investors are prodding the edges of a precarious opportunity set
Investors prioritize policy continuity in Indonesia - AVCJ Forum
Both candidates in Indonesia’s presidential election continue to claim victory, but unofficial counts conducted by polling agencies that point to another term for Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are a source of comfort for investors seeking stability.
Abraaj executives arrested on fraud charges
Two executives from The Abraaj Group, including founder Arif Naqvi, have been arrested on US fraud charges relating to the collapse of the growth markets-focused private equity firm.
China's foreign investment law: A level playing field?
China’s new foreign investment law appears to make life easier for overseas investors in some areas, but uncertainty remains in others. Industry participants are waiting for more details to emerge in 2020
China PE investors prioritize long-term development - AVCJ Forum
Long-term structural reforms rather than short-term issues regarding trade tensions and liquidity preoccupy China-focused private equity investors, though they are happy to take advantage of any immediate moderation in valuations.
China ESG: Societal shift
China’s ESG compliance drive reflects a long structural change for financial markets and an evolutionary process for local business culture. Many investment variables are unique
Australia financial regulation: Compliance conundrum
Proposed reforms could redraw Australia’s financial services landscape as tougher regulatory requirements see banks back away from certain areas. PE investors want to pick up the pieces
Hong Kong promises better tax deals, fund structures for PE
Hong Kong will consider altering its tax regime to encourage private equity firms to operate in the territory as well as offering more choice on fund structure through the introduction of a new limited partnership regime.
Hong Kong tax: Playing catch-up
Hong Kong is introducing various initiatives intended to encourage private equity firms to bring more of their operations onshore. A failure to act may see Singapore emerge as Asia’s jurisdiction of choice
China-US tensions: Foggy flashpoints
Rhetoric shaping the debate over China's ambitions to become the prime mover in global technology - and what the US could do in response - reflects the geopolitical significance of the issue. Private equity investors are not immune to its impact
