Asia Pacific

US fast-food conglomerate Yum! Brands' latest China sales figures and Chinese expansion efforts serve as an imperfect bellwether for the Asian nation's retail outlook

A eurozone-induced global financial crisis could trigger a crash landing for the Chinese economy unless Beijing enacts a fresh stimulus, the IMF has warned

Asian corporates will increasingly turn to domestic bond markets and dim sum offerings to meet their funding needs this year due to the tighter liquidity offshore, though US dollar funding will remain a key tool for larger borrowers, say analysts.

South Korean retailer Lotte Shopping raised Rmb750m ($119m) from a five year dim sum bond last week, becoming the first issuer from the country to tap the offshore renminbi market this year.

Carlos Garcia Moreno, chief financial officer of América Móvil, talks to EuroWeek Asia about the company’s recent experience in the offshore renminbi market.

Here's a crib-sheet charting London's role as an offshore trading centre for the renminbi. But don't confuse these market developments with making the Chinese currency fully convertible

Top 3 Offshore RMB DCM Transactions - Last Year Rolling (Feb 1 2011 to Jan 31 2012)

As China pushes for Shanghai to be a more prominent global financial centre, Hong Kong’s clout as a capital markets hub may slowly fall to the wayside.

German plastics and chemicals group Lanxess and Mexican telecommunications giant America Movil are planning to make their debuts in the offshore renminbi bond market, becoming the first foreign companies this year to tap the market. But some bankers are bearish about the prospects for issuers over the next 12 months, and think that pricing will rise by the end of the year.

The IMF's decision to review whether China's currency is still "substantially undervalued" could prove a political bombshell given the US election season and the Fund's desire to tap Beijing for funding

The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy bind - boosting growth and liquidity without fueling inflation - is set to remain firmly entrenched, even amid a tentative recovery in the rupee