Shein has privately filed to list its shares on the Hong Kong stock exchange – but remains hopeful of securing approval to float in London, according to new reports.The fast fashion retailer confidentially filed a draft prospectus last week with the Hong Kong exchange, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.The move was partly made in a bid to apply pressure on regulators to approve plans to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), which Shein’s bosses remain hopeful can be kept alive, the FT said, citing people familiar with the matter.The sources reportedly said that London remained the company’s preferred exchange due to its more diverse and international investor base.Shein has been contacted for comment on the reports.Shein has been looking to float on the LSE for more than a year, but has struggled to get the go-ahead from Chinese regulators for the move, including the China Securities Regulatory Commission.This is despite it reportedly securing approval for the listing from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority in March.If Shein launched an initial public offering (IPO) in the UK, it is widely thought to mark one of the biggest deals for the stock exchange in a decade.The Chinese-founded company, which is now based in Singapore, has disrupted the fast-fashion industry by shipping cheap clothes direct from factories in China to UK and US-based shoppers.However, its efforts to float on the public markets have faced a variety of obstacles, including political pressure in the UK over alleged supply chain and labour abuses.This is thought to be a key sticking point between UK and Chinese regulators failing to agree on appropriate language in the risk disclosure part of the listing prospectus, according to the FT.To receive the best stories in your inbox every day, click here to register for one or more newsletters from The Standard.

China-founded fast-fashion retailer Shein has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong to accelerate the listing process and pressure Britain's regulators to approve its planned London debut, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.