Société Générale SA called off its plan for a securities joint venture in China in favor of a wholly owned subsidiary in an effort to avoid future stake transfers, Reuters reported Oct. 14, citing Xin He, the bank's head of global markets for China.

The move comes as Chinese regulators announced plans to lift foreign ownership limits in its financial industry by the end of 2020.

A spokesman for the bank in Hong Kong confirmed that the bank postponed its plans for a Chinese securities business until regulators disclose further details, Reuters added.