Abstract: By making use of the data of China’s A-share listed companies during 2004-2009, this paper studies the influence of accounting standards international convergence on executive sensitivity of performance-based salary. The results show that the executive sensitivity of performance-based salary has been significantly increased along with the international convergence of accounting standards. Relative to the state-owned enterprises, the executives of private enterprises have higher sensitivity of performance-based salary, and the corporate executives in the eastern regions have significantly higher sensitivity than those in the western and central regions. The international convergence of accounting standards has also improved the executive sensitivity of performance-based salary in the corporations which have set up compensation committees and in the companies with higher proportion of the first largest shareholders to a certant degree.

Key words: international accounting standards convergence; sensitivity of performance-based salary; property ownership; regional division; corporate governance