U.S. Financial Regulatory Reform: a Revelation to China

Published in HK Commercial Daily
(Hong Kong) on May 27,2010
by Yi Xianrong (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Adelina Wan. Edited by Hoishan Chan.
The 2008 U.S. financial crisis led to a serious global recession and crumbling of the U.S. financial system. There are many reasons behind this crisis, but a major cause is a financial system without appropriate regulations. Therefore, it is necessary to have a comprehensive evaluation and overhaul of the American financial regulatory system.

U.S. Financial Reform Bill
Has Global Implications


On June 17, 2009, President Obama announced the federal government’s blueprint for financial reform (U.S. Treasury, "Financial Regulatory Reform: A New Foundation). From the perspectives of institutions, markets, consumer protection, and international cooperation, the bill provides a thorough reform of the American financial regulatory system, including boosting the image of the Federal Reserve as a risk management regulator, establishing new rules on financial derivatives, and strong supervision over hedge and private equity funds.

In order to patch the holes in the old financial regulatory system and prevent a recurrence of a similar financial crisis, the US financial reform focuses on the following [issues].

First, the capital structure, liquidity and leverage ratio of banking institutions will be tightly monitored to control risk and prevent economic turbulence.

Second, hedge funds must be registered with the government; large hedge funds will be regulated by the federal government.

Finally, asset-backed lending and other financial products will be strictly supervised. Toxic assets will be completely subject to transparent global regulations.

Such regulatory reform focuses on concepts, institutions, and methodology, as well as on internal and external synchronization to achieve a complete overhaul of the existing financial system. In other words, the blueprint for this reform will reinforce the power of financial regulatory bodies, create a financial regulatory committee, and establish consumer protection agencies on financial products.

On one hand, it will reduce systemic risk in the financial system, protecting American consumers and investors from abusive practices associated with credit card companies, banking institutions, and the mortgage market. On the other hand, it also hopes to establish new standards in line with foreign countries in order to create a common regulatory structure to monitor similar financial derivative products. In this way, it will be easier to supervise international financial institutions through multilateral agreements and collaboration with foreign regulatory agencies.

Any systemic reform is a redistribution of benefits, especially with such an important reform. In order to synchronize the benefits of the overall financial market so that different organizations can maximize their benefits, financial reform must be backed up by reasonable and rational theories and have public consent. Thus, this reform bill took over a year to be passed [in the House]. Its [potential] impact on the financial market cannot be underestimated.

China Needs Its Own
Financial Regulatory Reform


The American financial market is the most advanced in the world, though an imperfect system is inevitable. However, significant changes in the American financial system have a critical impact on global market development, including China. If the American financial market is a mature market, the Chinese financial market is only in its infancy. After problems of a mature market surface, the Americans established new concepts of financial regulation, formulating new rules to adapt to changed economic circumstances, revamping the financial system.

China not only has to closely watch the development of American financial reform, she also has to re-investigate her existing risk management concepts and create a new financial regulatory system to keep up with the modern economy and rapidly developing financial markets.

For example, a better understanding of systemic risk, separation of conventional and new banking products, financial engineering, and financial derivatives will be necessary. China has learned a great deal in recent years by following the American financial model. Now, she has to seriously reconsider what she has learned. During this re-evaluation process, she has to carry out a comprehensive reform of the Chinese financial regulatory system. She cannot wait to declare financial reform only after an outbreak of a financial crisis, as this will be too late.

In all, the American Financial Reform Bill has significant consequences to the financial system. It will adjust the benefits of the American financial market and change how it operates. Its [potential] impact on global financial markets cannot be underestimated. As for China, she has to closely watch the development of American financial reform. Moreover, she has to re-examine and impose changes in the Chinese financial regulatory system so that she can create a functional system to cope with China’s economic development. Only under such conditions will China be able to improve her competitiveness in the global financial market.



美金融監管法案對中國的啟示
2010年 05月 27日 00:00 中國窗

美金融監管法案對中國的啟示

易憲容

2008年美國金融危機為什麼會造成全球經濟的嚴重衰退及美國金融體系突然崩潰?其中的原因很多,但新的金融運作體系沒有相應的監管制度是重要的原因之一。因此,就得對美國金融監管架構進行全面檢討與改革。

美修訂法案冲擊全球

2009年6月17日,美國總統奧巴馬公布了聯邦政府制訂的《金融監管改革:新基礎》的改革藍圖,當中從機構、市場、消費者保護和國際合作等多個角度,對美國金融監管體系作出了較為徹底的改革,其中包括將美聯儲打造成「系統風險監管者」、設立全新的消費者金融保護機構監管金融消費產品,以及對對冲基金和私募基金實施監管。

為了彌補舊監管體系的漏洞,并確保未來不會再次發生類似的金融危機,美國金融監管體系改革主要從以下幾個方面入手:

首先,銀行的資本、流動性以及槓桿率將受到嚴格監管,嚴格控制風險,防止經濟動蕩。

其次,對冲基金必須在政府進行註冊,大型對冲基金將要受到聯邦政府的監管。

最后,抵押貸款以及其他消費產品將被監管,有毒資產將受到全球透明性法規的監管。

這次改革旨在從監管理念、監管機構、監管手段、監管體系國內外協調等方面全面改革現有金融監管體系。也就是說,這次改革的藍圖將重新確立金融監管的權力結構,成立金融監管委員會,成立消費者金融保護局等。既要降低系統性風險發生可能性,保護美國消費者和投資人免受信用卡公司、銀行和按揭市場不法行為的侵害;還希望其制訂的許多新的標準能夠與海外國家的新政策相協調,以創立一個相容的監管架構,具體舉措包括制訂相似的信用衍生產品監管規定,在對大型跨國金融機構進行監管方面簽署跨境協議,以及與海外監管機構進行更好的合作等。

一般來說,任何制度的改革都是一種利益重新分配,特別是重大的制度改革更是如此。為了協調整個金融市場的利益關系,使不同集團的利益各得其所,不僅要給這種金融改革提供合理合法的理論基礎,而且也得通過公共決策的方式進行利益博弈,因此,該法案從草案推出到法案完全通過花費了近一年時間,其對美國金融市場的影響決不可低估。中國須改革自身金融監管

美國金融市場作為全球最為發達的金融市場,尽管其中制度不完善不可避免,但是美國金融體系重大的制度改變同樣會影響全球金融市場發展,中國也不例外。

對於中國金融市場來說,如果美國金融市場是一個成熟的市場,那麼中國金融市場則只處於幼稚階段。當這個成熟的金融市場出現問題之后,能夠通過自我修復機制來重奠金融監管體系的新基礎,確立金融監管的新理念,設計出適應新的經濟形勢的金融監管新規則,及重構美國的金融體系。中國不僅要密切關注美國金融監管制度的動向與發展,而且還得根據實際情况加快發展中國金融市場,同時也要重新審視舊有監管理念,重新打造適應現代經濟發展的新的金融監管體系。比如說,對系統性風險、金融混業與分業經營、金融創新、金融衍生工具等認識,要重新理解及釐清。從近幾年中國金融模仿性的改革方式來看,其中經驗與教訓很多。這些都要認真反思,并在反思的基礎上對中國金融監管制度進行全面的改革。不要等中國的金融危機爆發之后,才祭出金融監管改革的旗幟,那就為時已晚。

不僅中國金融體系發展程度不同於美國,中國金融體系發展的信用基礎也不一樣。因此,中國金融監管制度改革非僅是模仿性,更重要的是根據中國信用基礎的不同尋求不同的金融監管改革與發展方式。

總之,美國金融監管法案的通過將給美國金融體系帶來變革。它將調整美國金融市場利益關系、改變金融市場的行為方式,對國際金融市場的影響與冲擊決不可低估。對於中國來說,不僅要關注美國金融監管改革的基本動向,而且還得對中國金融監管體系進行全面審視與改革,為創立適應中國經濟發展的金融體系創造條件。唯其如此,才能提高金融市場的競爭力。

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

Hot this week

Sri Lanka: Qatar under Attack: Is US Still a Reliable Ally?

Israel: Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias: Congress Opens Investigation into Wikipedia

El Salvador: The Game of Chess between the US and Venezuela Continues

Austria: The US Courts Are the Last Bastion of Resistance

       

Russia: Trump the Multipolarist*

Topics

Spain: Charlie Kirk and the Awful People Celebrating His Death

Germany: Trump Declares War on Cities

Japan: US Signing of Japan Tariffs: Reject Self-Righteousness and Fulfill Agreement

Russia: Trump the Multipolarist*

Turkey: Blood and Fury: Killing of Charlie Kirk, Escalating US Political Violence

Thailand: Brazil and the US: Same Crime, Different Fate

Singapore: The Assassination of Charlie Kirk Leaves America at a Turning Point

Germany: When Push Comes to Shove, Europe Stands Alone*

Related Articles

Hong Kong: Foreign Media Warn US Brand Reputation Veering toward ‘Collapse’ under Trump Policy Impact

Hong Kong: The Lessons of World War II: The Real World Importance of Resisting Hegemony

Hong Kong: Can US Tariffs Targeting Hong Kong’s ‘Very Survival’ Really Choke the Life out of It?

Hong Kong: What Makes US Trade War More Dangerous than 2008 Crisis: Trump

Hong Kong: China, Japan, South Korea Pave Way for Summit Talks; Liu Teng-Chung: Responding to Trump