Securitization and Disclosure in China: A Comparison between US, EU, and China's Securitization Disclosure Regimes in Light of the 2007-09 Global Financial Crisis

Disclosure failures exposed in mature securitization markets during the global financial crisis sent warnings to emerging markets. Those emerging markets learned that it is critical to improve disclosure and market transparency in addition to the introduction of broad structural reforms into the securitization process.;First, an investigation into the dangers associated with asset securitization shows a number of structural and institutional flaws in the securitization process. The lack of adequate disclosure and the poor level of transparency regarding asset quality and risk transfer were paramount. This became obvious during the 2007-09 financial crisis as the risks associated with low-quality residential mortgage loans in the United States were distributed along the securitization process to the entirety of the financial sector in a complex and relatively opaque way.;Second, I review of the role of disclosure in financial regulation. There will be an assessment of the special features of securitization-related disclosure regulation and the different disclosure regulatory systems adopted in the US and the EU. This will be followed by an introduction of post-crisis disclosure reform initiatives.;Thirdly, I will examine the poor level of market transparency and the lack of adequate disclosure requirements. This leads to an analysis of the consequent information asymmetry problems that are endemic to the Chinese securitization market. Based on lessons drawn from the financial crisis and the unique characteristics of the Chinese securitization market, I then explore from a comparative point of view the potential impact of a comprehensive and sound disclosure regime and examine whether it can support a sustainable and healthy development for the emerging Chinese securitization market. This study concludes with specific proposals that aim to promote the effectiveness of disclosure and transparency for the purpose of curtailing risks inherent in securitization in the Chinese Context.;Key Words: securitization, financial crisis, information asymmetries, financial regulation, disclosure.