By Noah Sin
In the spotlight: the China Banking Regulatory Commission's office in Beijing
Plans to combine the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) were confirmed on March 13 by the State Council as part of a package to overhaul and consolidate some government departments.
Speculation had begun when the Chinese Communist Party named the reform of government institutions, including of those regulating the financial markets, as one of its policy priorities ahead of March’s National People’s Congress in Beijing.
The new regulator, named the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), will be under the direct supervision of the State Council, Wang Yong, state councillor, told the National People’s Congress.
“It will regulate both the banking and insurance sectors, prevent and resolve financial risks, protect the legal rights of financial consumers and safeguard financial stability,” he said.
Yong added that the regulatory shakeup would help China resolve the lack of clarity in regulatory responsibilities and allow regulators to better prevent systemic financial risk – a key policy objective for the Chinese leadership.
“Finance is the core of the modern economy,” said Wang.