The Impact of Residual Government Ownership in Privatized Firms: New Evidence from China

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of residual government ownership and the impact of such ownership on post-privatization performance in China. Using panel data on 514 firms for the period from 1999 to 2004, the similar sample period with previous studies, we find that government shareholders are more likely to be present in small firms, while large firms are more likely to have politically connected CEOs on their boards. Contrary to the "political interference" hypothesis, our results show that residual government ownership has a positive impact on Tobin’s Q. This study indicates that when the risk of expropriation by parent companies is high, government shareholders can add value to firms by signaling their commitment to privatization.