Guotai Haitong Securities (SHA:601211) is exploring ways to merge its overseas businesses after recently moving to take one Hong Kong-listed unit private, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people close to the matter.

China's largest brokerage is now weighing a similar delisting for another subsidiary, Haitong UniTrust International Financial Leasing (HKG:1905) to streamline overlapping operations under a single listed entity, the news wire said.

This consolidation effort aligns with Beijing's broader push to strengthen the domestic securities industry against global competitors, the publication said.

Guotai Junan Securities did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)