SINGAPORE may soon see an increase in initial public offerings (IPOs) and secondary listings from Chinese companies. But retail investors – many of whom still bear the scars of the S-chip debacle over a decade ago – are unlikely to be waiting with bated breath.

Market participants say that there has been a rise in inquiries from Chinese companies interested in listing locally, amid sharply tightened scrutiny of IPOs by China’s securities watchdog this year.

Vows to step up scrutiny of listing candidates and crack down on any lapses have put a freeze on China’s IPO market, which was the world’s biggest such market in the past two years.