HSBC Holdings plc (HSBA.L)

The Times of London: Analysts said that the insurer was unlikely to receive a seat on HSBC’s board as a result of its increased shareholding. However, there has been speculation that the bank may increase the number of directors from Asia. Currently only three of 15 are from the region. One of them, Laura Cha — chairwoman of Hong Kong Exchange, with close connections to Beijing — is expected to step down from HSBC’s board soon, having served for nine years.
Ping An started buying shares in HSBC in 2016 and took its stake above 5 per cent in December 2017, after which it had to publicly disclose its holding and changes. It has suffered a heavy loss on its HSBC’s shares, which have lost nearly 60 per cent of their value in the past two years.
Asian investors were said to be angry when HSBC along with other big banks in the UK were ordered to freeze dividends earlier this year to help cope with the financial cost of the pandemic.
HSBC has been hit by several difficult issues in recent months, the most recent of which were reports last week of a leak of documents alleging that it along with other banks continued to move money for clients which suspected of engaging in criminal activity.
HSBC has also been criticised by US and British politicians for supporting Beijing’s National Security Law to crack down on Hong Kong dissidents and has been attacked by Chinese authorities for its role in the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, finance chief of the Chinese telecoms group Huawei, in December 2018 at Vancouver airport on a warrant from the US.
Observers believe that pressure on the bank may lift somewhat after the US election in November and once noise over Ms Meng’s contested extradition dies down, although that may not be for many months.