When executives at Sinosoft, a Nanjing-based tax software maker, were looking around for a stock market on which to list their company, they considered all options.
The Nasdaq was out of the question because it was too expensive, while they felt Singapore was too focused on manufacturing companies.
Hong Kong was also out because they thought big mainland companies grabbed too much of investors' attention and exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen were not ideal because of too much regulation.
In the end, the executives decided on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM), which has gained a reputation as a place to list small, dynamic, fast-growing companies from around the world.
'The London Stock Exchange has done a tremendous job marketing the AIM in China. That gives a lot of confidence and support,' said Jeff Teo, a Sinosoft non-executive director.
Sinosoft held an initial public offering on the AIM on March 6, one of a raft of Chinese companies to do so since the LSE started attracting Chinese listings a year and a half ago. Europe's two other big stock exchange operators - Deutsche Boerse, operator of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and Euronext which operates the bourses in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Lisbon - are following suit.
The three are all seeking to cash in on a growing tide of Chinese listings and reluctance to list in the United States because of more onerous regulations.