China Life Insurance Co, the mainland's largest life underwriter, plans to sell 10 per cent of the firm to three investors.

"We are going to sell the stake to two overseas investors and one domestic company," said company Chairman Yang Chao, according to a report in Caijing Magazine.

China Life held talks about selling parts of the firm to Citigroup and Lehman Brothers before its listing in 2003, but stalled over price disputes. Now the company is back at the negotiating table with a list of 19 potential candidates.

Yang disclosed that the domestic investor would be an influential financial institution larger than China Life in terms of scale. Insiders believed it would be a big bank so that China Life could make a breakthrough in banking insurance.

In an earlier interview with China Daily, Liu Jiade, vice-president of China Life, did not reveal whether the potential domestic partner is in the insurance business or other sectors. "We do not rule out any potential investor. The only criterion is to ensure capital safety and offer a high return on investment."

Two other Chinese listed insurers, Ping An Insurance Company of China and PICC Property and Casualty Company Limited, sought out foreign firms HSBC and AIG as their strategic investors before they went public.

China Pacific, also a leading life insurer, sold a 25-per cent stake to US insurer Prudential Financial Group and buyout firm Carlyle Group for US$410 million in December.

"With the top-notch experience of foreign investors, Chinese insurers can expect to boost their profit margins," said Wang Guojun, an insurance professor at the University of International Business and Economics. "Foreign investors also help to raise investor confidence in the initial public offering (IPO)."

China Life enters 2006 with a revamped management team that has a renewed focus on finding the right partner.

Yang Chao joined China Life as president last year and has since become the company's chairman. His president's role went to Wu Yan. Miao Fuchun, who resigned as vice-president, was appointed vice-president of its parent company, China Life Insurance (Group) Co. Li Liangwen, previously a vice-president, also resigned.

Last month, the company said it saw a 7.3 per cent growth in insurance premiums last year. It had a premium income of 160.93 billion yuan (US$19.9 billion) in 2005, compared to the 150 billion yuan (US$18.5 billion) it reported in 2004.

Editor: Yan