几位消息人士对路透表示，中国正敦促国内公司考虑赴伦敦上市，旨在激活沪伦通交易，在新冠疫情危机过后加强与海外的联系。
沪伦通是指上交所与伦交所的互联互通机制，于去年启动，目标是在英国和中国之间建立联系，帮助中资公司扩大投资者基础，并让中国内地投资者可以投资于英国上市公司。
最初的计划是让几家公司在头几年参与该计划，但迄今为止只有一家中资公司--华泰证券--于去年6月透过沪伦通在伦交所挂牌。
消息人士表示，现在中国相关部门已经批准中国太保和国投电力赴伦敦上市。这两笔交易去年暂停。
消息人士表示，他们还同意中国长江电力开始筹备在伦敦证券交易所的二次上市。由于此事仍然保密，消息人士要求匿名。
中国证监会、上交所和中国太平洋保险没有立即回应路透的置评请求。国投电力和长江电力对此不予评论。伦交所也不予置评。
根据在2018年首次宣布的沪伦通机制，符合条件的上交所的A股上市公司可在伦交所主板发行上市全球存托凭证(GDR)。
上述消息人士包括银行、政府部门和交易所的官员，他们表示此举主要目的在于推动恢复沪伦通机制下的上市发行，中国正在寻求改善与外部世界关系，并帮助为解封后的经济复苏提供资金。
“今年下半年，我们可能看到一家、或者两家中国企业在伦敦上市，”一位密切参与其中的消息人士称。
“中国是首批解除封锁措施的国家之一，迫切想要回到正轨，计划改善与英国的贸易关系，”他补充说。
美国的反华情绪和在美国上市的中国企业瑞幸咖啡遇到的麻烦，可能使中国企业的纽约上市之路更难走。
**沪伦通管道**
第二位消息人士称，在沪伦通上市管道中，中国太平洋保险可能是今年第一家在伦敦上市的中国企业，寻求筹资20亿至30亿美元，可能在9月或10月定价。
第二名消息人士称，长江电力是另一家，可能寻求筹资约25亿美元，其交易将相当于股本的5%左右。
第三名消息人士说，在当前的环境下，股票上市未必是容易的事。该名消息人士是一位曾参与某些交易的伦敦银行家。
“IPO市场可能继续不稳定好一段时间，这些并不是‘非得拥有的’资产。 投资者已经忙着支持其投资组合中的企业了，因此可能精挑细选。”他说。
自新冠病毒疫情在全球范围爆发以来，IPO市场几乎停止。新冠疫情冲击全球经济增长，对股市造成严重破坏，且将市场波动率推上多年高点。
许多企业一直在二级市场上筹资，让企业经历了多数国家实施封锁的打击。路孚特数据显示，今年第一季仅有八家新股上市案，创2009年以来最低。
China urges local companies to list in London in renewed global push
China is urging domestic companies to look at listing in London, several sources told Reuters, as the country aims to revive deals under a Stock Connect scheme and strengthen overseas ties in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
The Shanghai-London Stock Connect scheme, which began operating last year, aims to build links between Britain and China, help Chinese companies expand their investor base and give mainland investors access to UK-listed companies.
The original plan was for several companies to take part in the scheme in the first couple of years, but so far only one company — Huatai Securities — made the trip from Shanghai to London last June.
But now Chinese authorities have given the go-ahead for China Pacific Insurance and SDIC Power to move ahead with their London-listing plans, the sources said, after both deals were halted last year.
They also gave the nod to China Yangtze Power to begin preparations for a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is confidential.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and China Pacific Insurance did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. SDIC Power and China Yangtze Power declined to comment. The London Stock Exchange declined to comment.
Under the London-Shanghai Connect Scheme, first announced in 2018, Chinese companies are allowed to add a secondary listing of Global Depositary Receipts in Britain that would be linked to shares in Shanghai.
The sources, including officials from banks, government and exchanges, said that the aim was to push for a resumption of listings under the Stock Connect scheme as China seeks to improve ties with the outside world and help to fund its post-lockdown recovery.
“In the second half of this year, we could see one or maybe two Chinese companies list in London,” said one of the sources, who is closely involved in the process.
“China is among the first countries to come out of lockdown, and is keen to get back on track with plans to improve trade relations with the UK,” he added.
Anti-China sentiment in the United States on several fronts and the troubles surrounding U.S.-listed Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee may have made the route to New York harder to navigate.
PIPELINE BUILDS
In London-Shanghai listings pipeline, China Pacific Insurance is likely to be the first Chinese company to make its London debut this year, seeking to raise between $2 billion and $3 billion, and it could price the sale in September or October this year, a second source said.
China Yangtse Power is another sizable listing, which could raise about $2.5 billion from a deal that will equal about 5% of its share capital, the second source said.
The share listings will not necessarily be an easy sell in the current environment, a third source said, who is a London-based banker involved in some of the transactions.
“The IPO market is like to remain shaky for a good while yet, and these are not ‘need to own’ assets. Investors will already be busy supporting the companies in their portfolio and are likely to be selective,” he said.
The market for initial public offerings (IPOs) has been all but shut since the outbreak of COVID-19 across the world, which has hit global economic growth, wreaked havoc on stocks and pushed market volatility to its highest in years.
Many companies have been raising funds in the secondary markets to keep businesses going through the lockdowns imposed in much of the world. But there were only eight new listings in the first quarter of 2020, the lowest number since 2009, Refinitiv data showed.