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In this round-up, China’s coronavirus-hit economy grows 2.3% year-on-year in 2020, the securities regulator plans to introduce more bans on those who break rules in the onshore capital markets, and the vice central bank governor says Ant Group will give a timetable for the shakeup of its businesses.

This week in Keeping Tabs: a key weekend for Germany's future, and Biden's stimulus plan.

In this round-up, the US adds Chinese technology giant Xiaomi Corp and oil major Cnooc to its blacklists, and Beijing announces measures to monitor consumer finance companies and insurance asset managers.

Social bonds have long been the poor cousin of green bonds. A smaller, less well organised market.

This week’s burst of covered bonds was exceptionally well received and boosted supply hopes. But even though the funding was cheap and deal execution certain, the supply outlook remains grim.

Few deals have ever had €75bn of orders. Spain managed to lose that much, but still have €55bn remaining in the book. This is the world the ECB’s purchase programmes have built.

The response of people to the coronavirus has been nothing short of inspiring. Not least bankers' creative solutions to carry on drinking. Taipan considers the best —and worst — options.

With Asia’s sustainability-linked bond (SLB) market thrown wide open with the first transaction, there is a case to be made for the opportunities offered to both issuers and investors by this nascent asset class.

Credit rating agencies are attracting harsh criticism over their treatment of emerging market sovereigns. Some in the bond markets believe it threatens to undermine their authority when it comes to assessing creditworthiness.

Big firms like HSBC, BlackRock and JP Morgan are always being criticised for environmental, social and governance failings. The remedy lies in their hands.

The emergence of institutional money into bitcoin is the death knell for its revolutionary dreams of a decentralised economic system.

Happy New Year to all Notebook readers! Although frankly, the lockdown restrictions, US democratic backsliding and unflappable markets make it feel like we never left 2020 behind.