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Political Influence and Coexistence of a Uniform Accounting System and Accounting Standards: Recent Developments in China

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  • Jason Zezhong Xiao
  • Pauline Weetman
  • Manli Sun

Abstract

This article investigates the role of political influence, as well as accounting tradition and the equity market, in China's recent changes in accounting regulation. We find that the Chinese government, in part self‐motivated and in part under external pressure, has been active in developing accounting standards in harmony with international accounting standards. However, it has retained a uniform accounting system in the Enterprise Accounting System issued in 2000 to accommodate the special circumstances of a transforming government, strong state‐ownership, a weak accounting profession, a weak and imperfect equity market, and the inertial effect of accounting tradition and cultural factors. This article also contributes to existing models of accounting system classification by illustrating the need for considering political influence as a factor that affects the rate of transition towards full implementation of international accounting standards.

Suggested Citation

  • Jason Zezhong Xiao & Pauline Weetman & Manli Sun, 2004. "Political Influence and Coexistence of a Uniform Accounting System and Accounting Standards: Recent Developments in China," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 40(2), pages 193-218, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:abacus:v:40:y:2004:i:2:p:193-218
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6281.2004.00151.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maxwell Aiken & Wei Lu, 1998. "The Evolution of Bookkeeping in China: Integrating Historical Trends with Western Influences," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 34(1), pages 140-162, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luca Zan & Qingmei Xue, 2011. "Budgeting China. Macro‐policies and micro‐practices in public sector changes," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(1), pages 38-62, January.
    2. Trevor Hopper & Mathew Tsamenyi & Shahzad Uddin & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2009. "Management accounting in less developed countries: what is known and needs knowing," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 469-514, March.
    3. Mujeeb Saif Mohsen Al-Absy & Ku Nor Izah Ku Ismail, 2019. "Accountants¡¯ Perception on the Factors Affecting the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards in Yemen," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(4), pages 128-142, July.
    4. Jianlei Han & Jing He & Zheyao Pan & Jing Shi, 2018. "Twenty Years of Accounting and Finance Research on the Chinese Capital Market," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 54(4), pages 576-599, December.
    5. Ana Paula Silva & Alexandra Fontes & Carlos Menezes & Tânia Menezes Montenegro, 2023. "Transitioning to an IFRS-Based Accounting System: Longitudinal Insights from Practitioners in Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-21, October.
    6. Silvia Rossetti & Roberto Verona, 2017. "International Differences in IFRS Policy Choice and the Persistence of Accounting Classification: The Case of China," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(2), pages 1-27, January.
    7. Tyrrall, David & Woodward, David & Rakhimbekova, Almagoul, 2007. "The relevance of International Financial Reporting Standards to a developing country: Evidence from Kazakhstan," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 82-110.
    8. Nurunnabi, Mohammad, 2014. "‘Does accounting regulation matter?’: An experience of international financial reporting standards implementation in an emerging country," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 230-238.
    9. Ross Taplin & Yafang Zhao & Alistair Brown, 2014. "Failure of auditors: The lack of compliance for business combinations in China," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(3), pages 310-331, September.
    10. Wendy Green & Richard D. Morris & Haiping Tang, 2010. "The split equity reform and corporate financial transparency in China," Accounting Research Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 23(1), pages 20-48, July.
    11. Nobes, Christopher & Stadler, Christian, 2013. "How arbitrary are international accounting classifications? Lessons from centuries of classifying in many disciplines, and experiments with IFRS data," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 573-595.
    12. Helen Hong Yang & Colin Clark & Changyu Wu & Alan Farley, 2018. "Insights from Accounting Practitioners on China's Convergence with IFRS," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 28(1), pages 14-27, March.
    13. Federica Doni & Ross Taplin & Roberto Verona, 2016. "Comparability of Company Accounts Using IFRS and US GAAP: Empirical Evidence of European and US Financial Statements," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(12), pages 1-54, November.
    14. Peng, Songlan & van der Laan Smith, Joyce, 2010. "Chinese GAAP and IFRS: An analysis of the convergence process," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 16-34.
    15. Li, Sihai & Wu, Huiying & Zhang, Jian & Chand, Parmod, 2018. "Accounting reforms and conservatism in earnings: Empirical evidence from listed Chinese companies," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 32-44.
    16. Keryn Chalmers & Farshid Navissi & Wen Qu, 2010. "Value relevance of accounting information in China pre- and post-2001 accounting reforms," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 25(8), pages 792-813, September.
    17. Li, Xinxiang & Soobaroyen, Teerooven, 2021. "Accounting, Ideological and Political Work and Chinese multinational operations: A neo-Gramscian perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    18. Chan, K. Hung & Lin, Kenny Z. & Mo, Phyllis L.L., 2010. "Will a departure from tax-based accounting encourage tax noncompliance? Archival evidence from a transition economy," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 58-73, May.
    19. Gina Xu & Steven Dellaportas, 2021. "Challenges to Professional Independence in a Relational Society: Accountants in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(2), pages 415-429, January.

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