Aussie lenders warm to Asian names in search of loan growth

Australian banks’ willingness to lend to borrowers in Asia outside their home market has grown markedly over the past three years as they look overseas for growth opportunities. Happily for them, this strategy has coincided with increasing interest from Asian family-run businesses and Chinese state-owned firms in acquiring assets in Australia and New Zealand. The result has been an intensification of banks' efforts to build relationships across the region, writes Shruti Chaturvedi.