Heightened regulatory oversight of China's securities firms and other nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs) signals the sector's growing role within the broader financial system, S&P Global Ratings said in a recent release.
The country's central bank has proposed a liquidity support instrument for these sectors in case of stress, which S&P views as a way to boost financial stability beyond banks.
The proposal could raise securities firms' liquidity amid market shocks and move the Chinese central bank closer to the way other central banks handle market stress, S&P said.
The rating agency expects securities firms with better balance sheets and established bond market franchises to qualify better for support.