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Chinese Companies Should Think Locally When Investing Globally

2010-09-01 12:28 1428

BEIJING and SINGAPORE, Sep. 1 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Chinese companies hungry for expansion and investment overseas face unfamiliar risk landscapes, requiring a deep understanding of the local environment, according to a report published today by Marsh.

The latestedition of The Marsh Directors' Series, a regular publication from Marsh in Asia, features a special focus on Chinese outbound investment, discussing the risks and opportunities Chinese companies encounter when acquiring, investing and listing outside their home market.

The many risk issues that these acquisitive companies face, especially in the US and Europe, include:

  • More stringent employee benefit and workers' compensation regulations
  • Strict environmental liability laws
  • Different statutory reporting requirements for listed companies
  • Class action litigation for IPO and prospectus-related liability

"The global downturn has presented well-capitalised Chinese companies with many attractive M&A opportunities," said Paul Wilkins, Chairman and CEO of Greater China for Marsh.

"However, Chinese companies face a completely different risk landscape from what they are used to at home.  Issues such as more stringent regulations and cultural integration require these companies to pay particular attention to their overseas risk management and insurance programs.  Companies planning to list or already listed offshore have the added complexity of IPO liability and statutory reporting requirements."

This edition of The Marsh Directors' Series also includes a story on managing risk in a growth environment.  As Asia continues to power ahead with strong GDP figures, companies should adjust their risk management and insurance programs accordingly.

To access the report in English: http://www.insurancemarketreport.com/dsengq3q4/index.htm

To access the report in Chinese: http://www.insurancemarketreport.com/dschiq3q4/index.htm

About Marsh's Asia Global Client Services (AGCS) Practice

AGCS is a global network of over 400 colleagues who specialise in the distinct aspects of risk management and insurance for multi-national clients emanating from Asia. These colleagues are situated in Marsh's global network of owned offices under a single management structure. They prioritise risk issues, such as local regulations, evolving exposures, catastrophic risks and relationships that the clients may have with a specific insurer. Contact and regular communication across numerous time zones enables AGCS to deliver leading edge program design and consistent timely service. Our colleague network enables us to communicate with clients in their home language, such as Mandarin, Korean and Japanese.

About Marsh

Marsh has over 24,000 employees and provides advice and transactional capabilities to clients in over 100 countries. Marsh is a unit of Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), a global professional services firm with over 50,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue of $10 billion. MMC also is the parent company of Guy Carpenter, the risk and reinsurance specialist; Mercer, the provider of HR and related financial advice and services; and Oliver Wyman, the management consultancy. Its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) is listed on the New York, Chicago and London stock exchanges. MMC's website address is www.mmc.com. Marsh's Web site is www.marsh.com.

Source: Marsh
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