Purpose – The last decade witnessed the reform of China's financial sector, during which Chinese commercial banks’ ownership and operation had been significantly changed in order to improve efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to investigates whether these banks have improved their...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of capital structure using a cross-section sample of 1,481 non-financial firms listed on the Chinese stock exchanges in 2011. Design/methodology/approach – Employing four leverage measures (total leverage and long-term...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of regulatory reform on the asset allocation and capitalization of Chinese banks from 2002 to 2007, a period following China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Design/methodology/approach – The evidence rejects a...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the discretionary use of loan loss provisions in the Chinese banking sector during the global financial crisis. The objective of this paper is twofold: to add new evidence to the scant literature dealing with a peculiar banking sector, such...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the quality of financial reporting by banks in China, and the profit hiding behavior of banks in particular. Design/methodology/approach – Reported profit is compared with actual profit using multiple regression analysis. The...

Purpose – This paper addresses the topic “The interaction between financial institutions and firms in the nonfinancial sectors” in the special issue of “Banking and finance in China.” The purpose of this paper is to examine the trading behavior and price effects of foreign institutions...