Asia Pacific

The US was set to raise tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods, as GlobalCapital went to press, after talks between the two economic powers appeared to break down. Few people predicted it, most having prematurely stopped worrying about the US-China trade war and its impact on markets.

Global equity markets suffered their worst days of the year this week after an apparent breakdown in trade talks between the US and China, causing investors to sell and volatility to spike and possibly wrecking equity issuance plans, write Sam Kerr and Ross Lancaster.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut rates for the first time since 2016 to a record low of 1.5% on Wednesday. The RBNZ Monetary Policy Committee decision was the first under its new set-up, which included three external members on the committee.

A number of Chinese real estate companies have returned to the offshore loan market after struggling to raise money in the second half of 2018. Although some bankers said they are more willing to lend than they were last year, they are also complaining about the size of some deals. Pan Yue reports.

US president Donald Trump caused turmoil in global financial markets this week, after threatening to ramp up tariffs on Chinese goods. But although Trump stirred up trouble, Chinese start-up Luckin Coffee was not put off from brewing a US IPO. With heavy-hitting institutional investors already piling in to the offering, the company looks on track to raise more than half a billion dollars. Jonathan Breen reports.

Casino operator MGM China Holdings priced a larger-than-expected $1.5bn 144A/Reg S deal this week, and both tranches rallied in the secondary market despite a broader risk-off sentiment.

The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission is planning to impose tighter rules on the recognition of non-performing loans (NPLs), forcing banks to provide more transparent data about the health of their assets.

The Hong Kong government is meeting with international investors this week in an effort to court attention for its debut green bond. The transaction has been expected for more than a year, with Hong Kong and green enthusiasts hoping that a sovereign deal can launch the city as a hub for sustainable financing. Morgan Davis reports.

When I was a young debt banker, I hated Jimmy Carter. I was a cigar-chomping, ambitious yuppie with a Patek and a Rolodex that could choke an elephant, while he was a peanut-farming pinko with a charisma deficit.

Eagle Hospitality Trust extended bookbuilding for its Singapore IPO twice because of market jitters following US president Donald Trump’s tweet this week about Chinese trade tariffs, according to a source close to the deal.

CCB Financial Leasing Corp sold a $700m dual-tranche transaction on Wednesday, without paying a new issue premium on either tranche, and pushing the pricing on the $200m 10 year some 10bp inside its curve.

Chinese online tutorial platform GSX Techedu is seeking approval for an American Depository Shares (ADS) listing on Nasdaq, as fellow Chinese company DouYu waits for more stable market conditions before commencing pre-marketing for its own $500m ADS offering.