Chinese regulators checking on China Vanke fight

Chinese regulators are checking the battle for control of developer China Vanke for any violations of disclosure requirements.

China Securities Regulatory Commission spokesman Zhang Xiaojun said on Friday it was “working closely with the China Banking Regulatory Commission and China Insurance Regulatory Commission to review the Vanke deal in a bid to maintain an open, fair and just market and to protect the interest of all shareholders”.

“The commission is highly concerned in the China Vanke deal about whether the listed company and the parties offering to take it over have fulfilled their disclosure duties,” Zhang said.

The takeover battle has heated up since December 4, when property and insurance conglomerate Baoneng, controlled by Yao Zhenhua, became Vanke’s biggest shareholder after its subsidiary Shenzhen Jushenghua and affiliate Foresea Life Insurance bought a combined 20 per cent stake in China’s biggest home builder, since increased to 24.26 per cent.

READ MORE: Battle over developer China Vanke takes dramatic turn as top insurer throws support behind beleaguered company management

Anbang Insurance Group, a significant shareholder of Vanke, on Thursday expressed its support for chairman Wang Shi and his management team to run Vanke and fend off Baoneng’s hostile takeover bid.

The support of Anbang took the percentage of shares backing Wang to about 30 per cent. Wang has rebuffed Baoneng’s interest in Vanke, citing differences in corporate culture.

The Shenzhen Stock Exchange sent a letter to China Vanke’s board of directors late on Thursday complaining about disclosure differences in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The company is listed in both cities.

The Shenzhen bourse said Vanke had made four disclosures to the Hong Kong stock exchange about shareholding changes concerning Shenzhen-based Jushenghua and related companies in Vanke since December 7 and two disclosures about shareholding changes concerning Anbang since December 9.

“These shareholdings changes have not been informed or disclosed at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange,” the letter said. “ The disclosure differences between the stock exchange of Hong Kong and our exchange have misled media and investors.”

Vanke has suspended trading on both exchanges since December 18.