A number of high-profile independent directors of listed companies resigned in the past month as Beijing tightened corporate governance standards.
The catalyst is considered to be rooted in September last year when the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) fined an independent director for the first time.
Lu Jiahao of Shanghai-listed store Zhengzhou Baiwen was fined 100,000 yuan (about HK$93,730) for failing to fulfil his fiduciary duties.
More than 10 independent directors have resigned in the past year.
Among those who announced their resignations last week were noted Peking University economist Professor Xiao Zhuoji from Datang Telecom, Xu Xiaofan from Haihong Holdings and Zhang Jiguo from Changchun Gas.
Professor Xiao said he was too busy to keep up with the duties and responsibilities of an independent director.
'If I cannot perform my duties to the minority shareholders, my only choice is to withdraw,' he said.