Greater China

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (Safe) has scrapped the quota limits on two of the oldest access schemes for foreign investors to China’s onshore bond and equity markets. Bankers said the move could bring in some improvements to the way the mainland market operates, writes Rebecca Feng.

Shanghai Henlius Biotech launched a Hong Kong SAR listing on Wednesday, becoming the first issuer to test the market after earnings season and while protests continue to rip through the city.

Furniture maker Samson Holding has closed a $120m club loan with three banks to support the construction of a new factory in Vietnam

Euroclear Bank, a Brussels-based international securities depository, will work with China Central Depository and Clearing (CCDC) to develop a bond trading link for international investors to access Chinese domestic bonds.

Mainland China-based Cathay Media Group is eyeing a Hong Kong Stock Exchange IPO, filing a prospectus with the bourse this week.

Chinese real estate developer Longfor Group Holdings raised $850m from a 10 year bond on Monday, taking advantage of a recent ratings upgrade that led to a rally in its secondary price.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has priced $3.15bn of green bonds in US dollars, Hong Kong dollars and offshore renminbi (CNH), achieving a number of firsts in the process.

Chinese home appliance retailer Suning.com is seeking a $500m term loan to support its acquisition of French supermarket company Carrefour’s mainland China business. Although there are doubts about Carrefour’s future operations, bankers are still keen to maintain a relationship with the borrower.

Wuhan Financial Holdings (Group) Co found an opportunity to return to the bond market with a $300m tap, getting strong support from its 10-member syndicate team.

Asia’s IPO market burst into life this month, with issuers in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines testing investor appetite for their listings. While the resurgence is welcome after a bleak year for issuance so far, it is likely to be short lived, with a lot also resting on early movers’ performances.

Chinese company Avic International Leasing Co is seeking a $150m syndicated loan. It has mandated First Abu Dhabi Bank as the lead, the first time the Middle Eastern lender has bookrun a Chinese deal on a sole basis.

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) is reducing the amount of money that banks need to hold as reserves, a long-overdue move that analysts said is just one of many more easing measures to be implemented in the country.