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Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect northbound trading hits new high, BlackRock strategist says Belt and Road will bring about new opportunities in Asia for long term investors, and United Overseas Bank (UOB) opens a new branch in Kunming, Yunnan province.

The voters have had their say: read on to find how the sole benchmark in the week beginning November 13 — a 10 year dollar deal from World Bank — fared on BondMarker this week, and how its scores compare to a slew of prints in the tenor from public sector issuers this month.

The deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China says markets forces are the main driver behind renminbi internationalisation, Bank of China’s index shows onshore RMB bond yields stayed above their offshore counterparts last month, and Pakistan refuses to use the renminbi in the Gwadar Free Trade Zone – part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

China's big-shot technology companies rule the world, as Tencent made clear when it broke through the $500bn valuation mark this week. But more importantly, these firms aren’t afraid to let their bankers know it.

India rejoiced late last week when Moody’s upgraded the sovereign's rating for the first time in 14 years. The boost has certainly stirred up some positive sentiment around the country and is a great stamp of approval for the numerous reforms it has put in place over the past year. But in reality, it will be business as usual, and the ratings lift will only have a limited impact — unless India thinks big.

Public sector agency debt is often treated as an attractively high-yielding proxy for sovereign paper — whether or not a sovereign promises to stand behind the issues with a guarantee. But an issuer's branding seems to matter more than the hard facts of credit quality.

The Banco Popular resolution told investors how regulators and the market will treat additional tier one (AT1) bonds in times of stress. They liked the answer enough to continue buying — right up to giving Nordea a 3.5% coupon.

The European Commission’s Expert Group has offered its suggestions on how to improve corporate bond markets, and they’re pretty good. But large companies, not SMEs, will be the big winners.

China’s financial regulators publish rules to standardise asset management regulations, the Philippines confirms Bank of China for its Panda bond debut, and UBS Asset Management’s China arm launches the first onshore equity fund by a foreign asset manager.

The top scoring deal on BondMarker this week was a 2027 deal in dollars. Read on to find out which issuer won top honours.

The People's Bank of China (PBoC) conducted its largest weekly liquidity injection since January, the Stock Connect scheme celebrates its third anniversary this week, the Chinese authorities have extended a capital gains tax waiver, and Neuberger Berman was granted a private fund management licence for its China operation.

The BondMarker scores for 10 year dollar trades priced earlier this month will be revealed in the coming days, including a $1.25bn 2.5% print from Rentenbank and a $1.5bn trade from Japan Bank for International Cooperation.