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The pervasiveness and severity of tunneling by controlling shareholders in China

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  • Li, Guoping

Abstract

This article investigates tunneling by controlling shareholders in China's public companies, and finds that, first, tunneling is pervasive and severe; and, second, private controlling ownership significantly increases the severity of tunneling. This article argues that in China, where there is not sufficient and effective legal protection for investors, controlling shareholders, especially shareholders of privately controlled public companies, are able to conduct tunneling at minimal costs. Further, corporate governance mechanisms alone are not sufficient to protect minority shareholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Guoping, 2010. "The pervasiveness and severity of tunneling by controlling shareholders in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 310-323, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:21:y:2010:i:2:p:310-323
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    5. Andrew M. Bauer & Junxiong Fang & Jeffrey Pittman & Yinqi Zhang & Yuping Zhao, 2020. "How Aggressive Tax Planning Facilitates the Diversion of Corporate Resources: Evidence from Path Analysis†," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(3), pages 1882-1913, September.
    6. Chen, Shihua & Han, Xu & Jebran, Khalil, 2020. "Social trust environment and tunneling," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3).
    7. Zhang, Ping & Wang, Yiru & Gao, Jieying, 2023. "Going public and innovation: Evidence from the ChiNext stock market," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 586-613.
    8. Liu, Chunyan & Uchida, Konari & Yang, Yufeng, 2014. "Controlling shareholder, split-share structure reform and cash dividend payments in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 339-357.
    9. Shan, Yuan George, 2015. "Value relevance, earnings management and corporate governance in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 186-207.
    10. Cai, Guilong & Xie, Sujuan & Xu, Yue & Zeng, Yamin & Zhang, Junsheng, 2019. "Ultimate parent's board reform and controlling shareholder entrenchment: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 389-403.
    11. Feng, Yitian, 2023. "Do listed companies fulfill their public commitments? Evidence from the stake-raising commitments of Chinese companies," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    12. Weiwei Gao & Ting Cao & Zhen Huang, 2021. "Do outsiders listen to insiders? The role of government support in market reactions to earnings announcements," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 781-795, June.
    13. Chen, Yinghui & Du, Julan, 2020. "Does regulatory reform of cumulative voting promote a more balanced power distribution in the boardroom?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    14. Amon Chizema & Wei Jiang & Jing-Ming Kuo & Xiaoqi Song, 2020. "Mutual funds, tunneling and firm performance: evidence from China," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 355-387, July.
    15. Hu, Jun & Wu, Huiying & Ying, Sammy Xiaoyan & Long, Wenbin, 2021. "Relative-to-rival corporate philanthropy, product market competitiveness, and stakeholders," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    16. Li, Guoping & Zhou, Hong, 2015. "Political connections and access to IPO markets in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 76-93.
    17. Guoqian Tu & Frank Yu, 2015. "Tunneling or Not? The Change of Legal Environment on the Effect of Post-Privatization Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 129(2), pages 491-510, June.
    18. Gu, Leilei & Ni, Xiaoran & Tian, Guangning, 2022. "Controlling shareholder expropriation and labor investment efficiency," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 261-274.
    19. Abdul Aziz Khan Niazi & Tehmina Fiaz Qazi & Abdul Basit, 2019. "Expounding the Structure of Slyer Ways of Tunneling in Pakistan," Global Regional Review, Humanity Only, vol. 4(2), pages 329-343, June.

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