“Between 2019 and 2020, Evergrande Real Estate falsely increased its revenue and profit by prematurely recognising revenue, resulting in the fraudulent issuance of bonds publicly offered on the exchange market,” the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said in a statement issued today.

It added that the firm had “failed to disclose regular reports as scheduled, failed to disclose major litigation and arbitration as required, and failed to disclose failure to settle debts due as required.”

The CSRC said it had also imposed a maximum fine of US$6.5 million on Evergrande founder Xu Jiayin, also known as Hui Ka Yan, banning him from the securities market for life.

Evergrande was once China’s biggest real estate firm, a powerhouse in a sector that helped propel the country’s rapid economic growth during recent decades.

But its spiralling debt become emblematic of a prolonged crisis in China’s real estate sector.

Struggling to repay creditors for years, it defaulted in 2021.