CHINA’S stock market regulator may tighten supervision on corporate information distributed online after a fake statement was published in an Internet chat room purporting to be from a listed company.

    Currently, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) controls how companies disclose information, but an Internet chat room Aug. 6 published the fake statement said to be from Guanghe Landscape Culture Communications Co. that discussed the company’s operations.

    The publishing of the statement raised questions as to how well the CSRC is regulating the dissemination of corporate information by listed firms.

    “Our commission will next study and improve regulations governing corporate information disclosure so as to keep pace with the development trend of Internet media,” Deng Ge, a CSRC spokesman, was quoted as saying on the watchdog’s official microblog Friday.

    The CSRC will allow online media a role in distributing corporate information, but will simultaneously “strengthen supervision of information circulation and its spread via the Internet,” Deng said.

    The regulator urged listed firms to tighten supervision of their online activities to avoid violating disclosure rules.

    Currently, company executives are banned from publishing on their personal blogs, microblogs, WeChat and other online facilities any insider information that has not been announced publicly.

    Listed companies must also respond swiftly to online reports or rumors, making timely clarifying statements and suspending trading in their stocks and derivatives in case of emergency, the CSRC spokesman said. (SD-Agencies)