China

Ford Automotive Finance (China) started the year in China’s asset-backed securities market by selling a Rmb4bn (Rmb618.3m) deal on Thursday. The deal was open to foreign investors, but onshore demand formed the core support for Ford’s sale, sources on the deal told GlobalRMB.

Chinese issuers Jinjiang International Holding, China South City Holding, Guangxi Communications Investment Group Corp and Tianjin Real Estate Group Co tapped the market for euro and dollar bonds on a busy Thursday.

China’s FX watchdog tells corporates to prepare for more volatility in the RMB exchange rate, the chief of China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) criticises illegal activities in the banking sector, and a domestic Chinese credit rating agency moves US sovereign rating as a result of the recent tax cut.

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co raised HK$3.1bn ($396.6m) through an H-share placement on Thursday, its biggest follow-on offering yet.

Germany's domestic central bank said this week that it would start buying renminbi assets. Andreas Dombret, a member of the board at the Bundesbank, indicated to GlobalRMB that the central bank — like others in the developed markets — would follow the European Central Bank’s small initial allocation to the currency.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Mizuho Bank opened the Panda bond market for Japanese issuers on January 12, with both crossing the finish line on the same day.

Country Garden Holdings wowed the market this week with a HK$23.5bn ($3bn) print in both the equity and equity-linked formats, marking the largest convertible offering from a Chinese property developer.

A receptive market and generous pricing worked in favour of China’s Concord New Energy Group and Indonesia’s Sawit Sumbermas Sarana (SSMS) this week, as both managed to pull off debut dollar bonds two months after failed attempts. Morgan Davis reports.

Chinese biopharmaceutical company BeiGene wrapped up a follow-on offering of its Nasdaq-listed American Depository Shares on Wednesday, raising a larger than expected $750m, according to a company statement.

Sunny Optical Technology (Group) Company’s $600m bond debut tightened 15bp in the secondary market on its first day of trading, a clear sign of the rampant demand for technology credits. But despite the eye-catching tightening, even rival bankers thought the pricing was spot-on. Addison Gong reports.

Promoting RMB internationalisation is necessary for China to safeguard its national security, Anthony Leung, chairman and CEO of Nan Fung Group and former financial secretary of Hong Kong, told the Asian Financial Forum on January 16.

China’s Concord New Energy Group and Indonesia’s Sawit Sumbermas Sarana (SSMS) sold their first dollar bonds on Tuesday, successfully completing transactions that were stymied just two months ago.