China Securities Regulatory Commission issues supervision rules for listed company board secretaries effective 24 May 2026

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has issued new supervision rules for board secretaries of listed companies, aiming to standardise how they perform their roles and to better support effective discharge of their duties. The rules take effect from 24 May 2026. The framework clarifies board secretaries’ responsibilities across information disclosure, corporate governance, and internal and external communications. It also strengthens role safeguards, including access to information, performance platforms and remedies. Appointment management is tightened by raising professional competency and compliance expectations, prohibiting concurrent positions that may undermine independent performance, and requiring the nomination committee to review candidates’ qualifications. Accountability is reinforced by requiring listed companies to establish regular performance evaluation and responsibility mechanisms for board secretaries, with strict regulatory measures or penalties where a listed company commits violations and the board secretary is found not to have exercised due diligence. Transitional arrangements apply to board secretary appointments and concurrent roles through 31 December 2027, with firms expected to progressively adjust any non-compliant situations. The CSRC noted it had previously consulted publicly on the rules and revised them after considering feedback, and will now focus on implementation.