The survival guide for China's online lenders

Working together with regulators is the key to the sustainable growth of China's burgeoning micro-lending sector, leading figures in the industry said on Tuesday.

Offering small, unsecured loans online has grown to become an Rmb $1 trillion $150 billion business in recent years. But fears about borrowers building up massive debts and resulting concerns about the stability of lenders have seen regulators step in, most recently with a move to ban new lenders in November.

Now, regulators have worked with established industry players to set up a new company intended to act as a self-regulator, improve transparency and cut the cost of funding for the sector....