Public enforcement in China’s securities markets: is it a “law matter”?

Abstract

In recent years, with the rapid development of China's stock market and the awakening of investors’ awareness of protection, the number of public enforcements in the Chinese public securities market have exploded, and the primary regulator of the securities trading, China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has become increasingly active in providing remedies for investors. It seems that the quality of rule of law in enforcing securities law of the country has been dramatically improved. However, based on a careful analysis on a series of the cases, this statement may not be quite accurate. This paper aims to deeply explore the social and political factors that are significantly directing the enforcement of securities law in contemporary China by examining the two landmark judicial cases occurred in the recent years.