Construction workers at a residential skyscraper in Shanghai on Nov. 29, 2016. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese state-owned financial institutions are reclaiming bonuses and reducing salaries as Beijing expands its oversight of the finance industry to encompass mutual funds and Hong Kong-based bankers.

Some top state-owned mutual fund managers in mainland China have been instructed to give back any portion of their annual salary that exceeded Rmb2.9mn ($400,000), as per two fund managers who were given directives following an onsite audit in June.

The disbursement of this year's bonuses had been postponed, according to one source. Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based executives at units linked to state-owned Citic Group on the mainland have been instructed to return bonuses, as reported by two individuals briefed on the matter.

Additionally, executives at the investment unit of Hong Kong's state-owned conglomerate Everbright Group have also been instructed to return bonuses received in recent years, according to two sources familiar with the decision.

The pressure on state-owned financial conglomerates in China has been increasing, with tighter controls being implemented. Bankers who were briefed on these measures informed the Financial Times that the scrutiny is now expanding to include funds and bankers working for state institutions in Hong Kong, especially those with mainland contracts. The Chinese finance ministry typically approves the overall pay packages for state lenders.

President Xi Jinping of China has stressed the significance of prioritizing "new quality productive forces" like technology and manufacturing over finance, as part of a nationwide push for "high quality development". He has also advocated for "common prosperity", a philosophy that has led to a crackdown on bankers and their excessive behaviors. Victor Shih, the director of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California, San Diego, noted, "We can still observe the 'common prosperity' theme and Xi's belief that much of finance is parasitic on 'real' economic activities."

Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis, remarked, "The recent developments indicate that Hong Kong, due to its close economic ties, will not be shielded from mainland China's financial and regulatory reforms. However, the impact will hinge on whether the trend will further escalate in terms of both wages and employment numbers."

Financial executives from mainland China who are sent to work in Hong Kong are no longer surprised by the situation, according to an executive at Citic who preferred to remain anonymous.

The executive emphasized that it is impossible to avoid the situation if their contracts and compensation packages are still managed by the headquarters in Beijing. The fund industry has now become a target for blame, as mentioned by a manager of a top-sized mutual fund house based in Beijing.

The manager highlighted that after IPO bankers, it is now the fund managers who are facing scrutiny. A banker from a state-owned securities firm in Beijing mentioned that all securities and mutual fund units of state-owned financial conglomerates are expected to be impacted.

Initially, executives and high-paid staff were the main focus, but now the inspections have broadened in scope. The banker added that travel expenses for the past five years are currently under review to ensure they have not exceeded certain standards.

In Beijing, several state-owned lenders are contemplating additional pay cuts, with executives at China Construction Bank potentially facing a 10% reduction in pay this year, as per discussions with bankers. These pay cuts will be based on individual performance.

Following the Chinese Communist party’s third plenum, a document was released by China’s leadership promising to uphold financial system reforms and prevent systemic financial risks.

In April, the top anti-graft body in China initiated a fresh round of inspections targeting 34 major economic and financial regulators, along with the big four state-owned banks and various leading state insurers.

Subsequently, in June, the National Audit Office commenced rare onsite audit reviews of the top 10 mutual fund houses, as confirmed by individuals within these fund houses.

Staff members based in Hong Kong at the state lender Industrial and Commercial Bank of China expressed dissatisfaction over the bank’s decision to cancel one-off bonuses commemorating the handover anniversary of the territory to China.

One ICBC Asia employee stated, “We are already poorly compensated... Now, we anticipate a pay freeze as the next measure.” Requests for comments from Everbright Group, its Hong Kong investment arm Everbright Holdings, Citic Group, the National Audit Office, CCB, and ICBC went unanswered initially.