Wang Jun, vice minister in China’s ministry of finance, has signalled the country’s plan to increase the number of Chinese accountants working internationally, writes Nicholas Neveling in Istanbul.

Jun said China is implementing a drive to improve the quality of Chinese chartered professional accountants (CPAs), which would involve growing the presence of Chinese accountants working abroad. ‘We want to establish facilities for our CPAs abroad in order to improve the qualifications of Chinese accountants,’ Jun said.

Accounting had been placed at the centre of China’s economic development strategy, he added. China is a major area for UK bodies to increase their membership, but Jun’s comments suggest that instead of competing among each other for new members, institutes will also face challenges from local professional bodies.

‘Accounting has played a key role in China’s transition to a market economy by providing confidence for investors,’ Jun said.