China

Agricultural Bank of China gave an impressive demonstration of the depth of China’s booming debt markets this week with a Rmb50bn ($7.3bn) subordinated bond designed to shore up its capital base ahead of a potential initial public offering.

HSBC and Bank of East Asia are set to become the first foreign companies to sell bonds in the Chinese currency, after receiving regulatory approval this week to issue renminbi bonds in Hong Kong.

The Malaysian government has set up the country’s first bond insurer in an attempt to relieve funding pressures on lower-rated companies in Malaysia.

Deutsche Bank is set to launch a rare dollar-denominated bond in the Taiwanese market later this month in what will be its second "Formosa bond", a foreign currency deal sold to Taiwanese investors by an overseas issuer.

National Australia Bank sold a A$1.5bn three year bond this week, becoming only the second Australian bank to raise money in the domestic bond market without a government guarantee since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September.

Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp (KCRC), Hong Kong’s government-owned train company, sold the first notes from its $3bn MTN programme this week in the local Hong Kong market.