Shanghai Hosts Major Conference on Regional Mergers and Acquisitions as Sector Accelerates

Shanghai M&A Conference Highlights Growth in Mergers and Acquisitions

On December 15, 2025, Shanghai, the core of eastern China's business landscape, hosted a landmark conference aimed at emphasizing the rapid expansion of regional mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The event celebrated the one-year anniversary of Shanghai's three-year action plan designed to bolster M&A initiatives within public companies.

During the conference, attendees received insightful reports, including the unveiling of the China M&A Composite Index for 2025. According to the data presented, Shanghai and surrounding areas in the Yangtze River Delta accounted for approximately 45% of the total M&A transactions across China from October 2024 to September 2025. When considering the financial value of these transactions, they represented nearly 60% of the national total, establishing the Yangtze River Delta, which includes the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, as a pivotal force in the growth of the M&A market.

In light of this significant growth, an M&A alliance was launched during the conference, formed between Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPD Bank), China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd., and Guotai Haitong Securities. This collaborative effort aims to seize greater opportunities within the M&A market. The alliance detailed a plan to facilitate M&A deals exceeding 1.2 trillion yuan nationwide and 400 billion yuan specifically within Shanghai, from 2025 to 2027, targeting over 1,200 clients.

SPD Bank, one of the key co-hosts of the event, continues to be a leader in M&A financing in China. In the current year alone, their loans for M&A have surpassed 100 billion yuan, while their M&A loan portfolio now exceeds 240 billion yuan. This positions SPD Bank as the top choice for companies seeking financial support for their merger and acquisition endeavors.

The conference was jointly organized by the Shanghai Office of Xinhua News Agency and the Shanghai Headquarters of China's Economic Information Service. The primary objective was to further invigorate the M&A financing market and enhance Shanghai's development as an international financial hub. To achieve these goals, the conference also aimed to aggregate capital market data through the M&A Composite Index, providing a fresh perspective on market activity, size, efficiency, and effectiveness in the M&A sector.

This collective focus on improving the M&A landscape is crucial as Shanghai navigates its growth trajectory amid an increasingly competitive global market. By fostering dialogue among industry leaders and stakeholders, such conferences are pivotal in shaping the future of mergers and acquisitions within the region.

For a visual recap of the event, a detailed photo gallery can be found here.

As the global M&A sector continues to evolve, Shanghai stands as a testament to innovative strategies and collaborative efforts that drive growth and stability in the financial landscape.