China Fintech Curbs That Hit Ant Were No Surprise: Ping An

  • China has been discussing fintech rules for years, Tan says
  • Investors remain worried about regulatory risks in China
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

China’s curbs on fintech that thwarted a massive stock sale by Ant Group Co. have been under consideration for years and weren’t a surprise to those in the industry, according to an executive at China’s biggest insurer by market value.

Like Ant, Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. was in the midst of planning a public listing for a fintech unit when regulators began issuing a flurry of rules to contain the country’s burgeoning online lending industry. Its Lufax Holding Ltd. debuted on the New York Stock Exchange days before the most-sweeping checks were unveiled in November, followed closely by the abrupt suspension of Ant’s initial public offering.