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Previous studies have demonstrated significant discrepancies in financial results prepared separately under Chinese and international accounting standards. After years of reforms of Chinese accounting practices, there is still doubt as to whether previous discrepancies persist. This study therefore purports to evaluate the current dimensions of differences between the H‐share and the A‐share financial results.

Corresponding figures from H‐share and A‐share reports were obtained in pairs and analyzed through paired sample t‐tests.

Except for the result on operating income, all other t‐tests suggest that there is no significant difference between the paired figures of sales revenue, income before tax, net income, assets, debts and equity.

It can be concluded that the harmonization progress of Chinese accounting standards has advanced remarkably. Although full convergence has not been reached, the existing Chinese accounting standards have incorporated both the traits of international standards and the features of Chinese accounting practices.

Contrary to previous findings, this study did not identify statistically significant differences between H‐share and A‐share financial reports.

This chapter examines China’s corporate governance and accounting environment that shapes the adoption of internationally acceptable principles and standards. Specifically, it examines international influences, including supranational organizations; foreign investors and international accounting firms; domestic institutional influences, including the political system, economic system, legal system, and cultural system; and accounting infrastructure. China’s convergence is driven by desired efficiency of the corporate sector and legitimacy of participating in the global market. Influenced heavily by international forces in the context of globalization, corporate governance and accounting practices are increasingly becoming in line with internationally acceptable standards and codes. While convergence assists China in obtaining legitimacy, improving efficiency is likely to be adversely affected given that corporate governance and accounting in China operate in an environment that differs considerably from those of Anglo-American countries. An examination of the corporate governance and accounting environment in China suggests heavy government involvement within underdeveloped institutions. While the Chinese government has made impressive progress in developing the corporate governance and accounting environment for the market economy, China’s unique institutional setting is likely to affect how the imported concepts are interpreted and implemented.

This paper seeks to assess the feasibility and desirability of a major emerging economy adopting and implementing fair value accounting (FVA), as codified in the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), by studying China's recent experience.

The paper examines the extent of FVA adoption in China's new accounting standards (“2007GAAP”), reasons for differences from the International Accounting Standard Board's IFRS, and how 2007GAAP has been implemented in practice. Data are obtained from content analyses of IFRS and 2007GAAP FVA requirements, critical assessments of standard setters' official statements, and analyses of empirical evidence from official reports, media, and academic research.

The authors find a high degree of adoption of IFRS FVA standards in China's 2007GAAP for financial instruments, but many differences for non‐financial long‐term asset investments. Standard setters justify this divergence by fundamental characteristics of the Chinese environment. The resulting differences from IFRS in the 2007GAAP FVA standards, and in their implementation, challenge official claims of “substantial convergence” between 2007GAAP and IFRS. Hence, the benefits desired by Chinese regulators from adopting FVA and international accounting convergence to IFRS may not be realized.

The findings are derived from aggregated data in government reports. These findings can be extended in future research by examining specific implementation outcomes in company financial statements.

The paper contributes a timely critical examination of a major emerging economy's convergence with the controversial FVA requirements, which supports the IFRS's standing as a high quality set of accounting standards. The findings provide new insights into factors that can impede international accounting convergence in emerging economies.

Outlines economic and accounting reforms in China since the late 1970s and assesses the impact of the 1997 Asian financial crisis on them. Suggests that although China escaped the recession suffered by neighbouring countries, it still has a high risk of financial crisis/recession and enumerates the reasons why. Explains the steps taken by the government to reduce the risk, including reforms aimed at the standardization of accounting practices and improved reliability and comparability of financial information. Discusses the nine practical accounting standards issued between May 1997 and July 1999, which are in line with international standards and summarizes the reforms to enhance the independent status of public practitioners and the auditing standards issued so far. Identifies six remaining problems in the process of accounting reform but believes it is on the right track.

This chapter examines the development of accounting thought and practices in China with the purpose of illustrating its relevance to current accounting policies and practices. The review indicates that changes in accounting in China did not usually occur completely and easily. Over the past three decades, while Chinese accounting has gradually moved toward the Anglo-American model, convergence has presented unique features in China. For example, the review suggests that the accounting reforms in China have been heavily government-driven and that uniform accounting systems still remain. Chinese regulators maintain a cautious attitude toward the application of fair value and professional judgment, which are essentially the center of the Anglo-American accounting system. Furthermore, Chinese accounting regulators have a different view of business combinations from the IASB and have developed alternative accounting methods for those transactions. China’s departure from IFRS reflects its politico-economic context and essentially challenges the IASB’s goal of achieving international accounting convergence. China’s approach to internationally acceptable practices is likely to have implications for the effectiveness of the imported ideas.

Since the Chinese government implemented its reform and open‐up policies in 1978 many western management accounting concepts and techniques have been introduced into China. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Chinese management accountants have coped with the changes in the new economic environment and absorbed new ideas into their own practices. This paper also discusses the differences between the current Chinese management accounting system and the management accounting systems used in the western countries, and the obstacles in implementing western management accounting systems in China.

Both field study and survey approaches were used in this project. Six selected Chinese enterprises were visited. A questionnaire was distributed to all accountants in these companies.

This paper has found that the main obstacle for implementation of western methods is not political sensitivity, but the extent of technical constraints. The management information system (MIS) is under development in most Chinese enterprises, while the essential data for using western techniques, such as activity‐based costing, cannot be collected easily in the current situation. Nevertheless, changes in management accounting can be seen in some areas, such as the quality of products being promoted; the use of the responsibility accounting; and profitability as the key criterion for selecting investment projects.

This paper provides a comprehensive study about Chinese management accounting systems. The findings in the study will help western investors to be better prepared if they have set up a business in China or are going to enter the Chinese market.

Outlines the history of accounting in China and reviews the literature published in English on the full range of Chinese accounting issues. Summarizes the contents of three books, refers to sections in other books and analyses journal articles by period, journal, research topic and research method. Argues that this accounting research has historical, academic and practical value,believes it will continue to improve and calls for greater use of more rigid research methodologies in this area.

The purpose of this paper is to provide “Comments” on two previous papers in this journal about fair value in Chinese accounting. It extends those papers by considering developments since 2006.

The paper analyses the contents of Chinese Accounting Standards, dividing the references to fair value into several different categories. This analysis is compared to the findings of the two previous papers. This paper then re-assesses the evidence about the alleged pressures from international institutions on Chinese accounting.

The two previous papers greatly overstate the importance of fair value in Chinese accounting, partly through misinterpreting Chinese standards and partly because of a lack of caveat that the instructions about fair value often relate to special circumstances or unusual companies. The theorising about Chinese enthusiasm for fair value is misguided: the present author suggests that China became keen to adopt international standards despite their use of fair value not because of it, and that China removed much of the fair value when it adapted international standards. The extension of the analysis beyond 2006 provides a fuller coverage but does not alter the conclusions.

The earlier of the two papers examined has been extensively cited. Researchers need to be warned that the technical content and the conclusions of both papers are questionable. Authors should define terms clearly and should provide sufficient reference detail to enable readers to check findings.

Multinational companies, auditors and financial analysts should not be misled into thinking that Chinese accounting makes extensive use of fair value accounting.

This paper critically re-assesses two previous papers, starting with detailed technical data and moving through to the influence of international institutions. This paper also newly extends the analysis of Chinese standards beyond 2006.

The Chinese capital markets are divided into two segments comprising of A-shares (traded by domestic investors) and B-shares (traded by foreign investors). Firms issuing A-shares are required to produce accounting reports under the Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) and firms issuing B-shares are required to report under the International Accounting Standards (IAS). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the comparative value-relevance of accounting information in the Chinese capital markets, in particular whether the value-relevance associated IAS exceeds that of CAS.

This study undertakes a capital market research approach. Two statistical models are employed to test the value-relevance of competing accounting information on share prices: the Price Model and the Return Model. This study takes advantage of the parallel reporting frameworks governing the A-share and B-share markets buy using the same firms which issue both A-shares and B-shares.

The analysis supporting the study demonstrates that both CAS and IAS information is value relevant to investors in the Chinese capital markets but that IAS provide more useful information. Additionally it is observed that reconciliation variables (representing the discrepancy between IAS- and CAS-based accounting figures) are not significant in explaining market valuation or returns on stock.

This study provides evidence of value-relevance of accounting reports on the Chinese capital markets for the period of 1999-2005. The period under investigation captures the significant development in China's accounting regulations which took place in 1998 and 2001. The recent shift in accounting regulations in China from CAS to IAS is expected to improve the dissemination of financial information by publicly listed Chinese firms.

This study investigates the reporting requirements on the Chinese capital markets during a period in which accounting reporting requirements underwent a significant change as part of the internationalization of accounting standards. Both A- and B-share markets were investigated simultaneously in order to provide an objective analysis and avoid sampling selection bias present in other studies.

The recent shift in accounting regulations in China from CAS to IAS is expected to improve the dissemination of financial information by publicly listed Chinese firms.

This paper extends previous research on value-relevance of accounting reports in the Chinese capital markets by capturing the period in which the reporting requirements had experienced significant change. This paper also takes advantage of the dual reporting framework in order to mitigate potential sampling bias present in previous studies and employs a reconciliation variables not previously used.

The introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) has brought about renewed calls for the learning environment to foster a deep approach to learning by students. Given this, the purpose of this paper is to determine what aspects of the learning environment, as measured by the Course Experiences Questionnaire, created in two semester-long financial accounting classes, influence students’ approaches to learning, as perceived by Chinese accounting students.

A logistic regression model based on responses from 497 accounting students across two universities in China is used to address this issue.

The findings provide original empirical evidence of the Chinese accounting students’ expectations of deep learning. The main results showed that teaching quality and clear goals and standards were significantly associated with a deep approach to learning.

As two universities are included in the study, the findings are not necessarily generalisable to all accounting degree courses across China. There are practical implications for the teaching of IFRS in the financial accounting unit in China, and particularly for the two universities. Specifically, instructors need to foster students’ learning environment and inspire an enhanced approach to deep learning by focusing more on communicating their expected academic standards and improving their quality of teaching to reverse the passive approach taken by the vast majority of Chinese accounting students.

As one of the few studies from a Chinese accounting classroom context with respect to the learning approaches to teaching IFRS, this study will contribute to extend the existing knowledge of the learning environment of Chinese universities.