Asia Pacific

Berlin Hyp has become the latest FIG issuer to enter the green senior unsecured market in euros, after Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Mizuho Financial Group opened up issuance from Japan earlier this month.

Prudential plc secured an attractive rate of funding when it sold a new perpetual tier two bond on Tuesday, but market participants remain unclear whether or not there is enough demand for fixed-for-life coupons to allow a flurry of new issuance from other European insurers.

Emboldened by the ability of its neighbour Tajikistan to access the capital markets, Uzbekistan is preparing ground to secure its first sovereign rating, with a view to issuing a Eurobond in the future, according to sources.

Vincom Retail is treading new ground in Vietnam’s snail-paced listing market, aiming to list its shares just two weeks after the IPO. But any hopes that this will be the dawn of a new age may be dashed. The big deals set to follow are a slew of privatisations — and Vietnam’s state-owned enterprises are notoriously tardy.

China Construction Bank Corp closed its first Singapore dollar bond on Monday, taking advantage of the thriving local currency market in southeast Asia.

Clothing manufacturer Crystal International Group has opened books for its Hong Kong IPO, with a view to raising as much as HK$4.5bn ($573.8m) from selling new stock.

Jiangsu Nantong Sanjian Construction Group Co (JNTC) has named banks to run its first dollar bond transaction. Separately, Chinese privately-owned company Yihua Enterprises (Group) Co has sealed its maiden international deal, raising $250m on Monday.

Xi Jinping's first term has seen a series of concrete steps taken towards opening up the country's capital markets. With the five-yearly Party Congress starting this week, it is now time for China's leadership to take the leap from granting access to giving global investors real influence on the market.

Shandong Marine Group is marketing its inaugural international Reg S bond, while LVGEM (China) Real Estate Investment Company reopened its 2020s priced two months ago to fund new property projects.

The Korea Development Bank returned to the offshore market on Tuesday, adding a dash of variety to its funding with a Formosa transaction.

Tencent Holdings-backed China Literature’s $600m-$800m Hong Kong IPO is off to a red-hot start as pre-deal investor education begins, with shadow indications of interest already strong after the first day.

Panamanian commercial lender Banco General is distributing a $500m loan into the Asian market, the second time it has tapped bank liquidity in the region.