HONG KONG/WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators gained "good access" in their review of auditing work done on New York-listed Chinese firms during a seven-week inspection, four sources with knowledge of the matter said - a key step forward in resolving a long-standing bilateral dispute.
Inspectors with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) conducting the inspection in Hong Kong gained all the information they requested, one of the sources said.
They were also allowed to print out some documents to more easily review information despite some initial hesitancy from Chinese officials, the source said.
Authorities in China have long been reluctant to let overseas regulators inspect local accounting firms, citing national security concerns.
Reporting by Xie Yu and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong, Chris Prentice in Washington; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.