Greater China

Want Want China Holdings became the first issuer from Taiwan to tap the onshore Panda market last week, the company told GlobalRMB. But it is unclear how strong an appetite the food manufacturer has for this asset class, having raised just Rmb500m ($75m) in its debut.

Mak Ka Ming, former head of structured finance at Chong Hing Bank has joined China Everbright Bank’s Hong Kong branch, according to a source close to the move.

Hong Kong start-up Welab Holdings has filed a listing application with Morgan Stanley as lead left underwriter and sponsor alongside JP Morgan.

Bio-technology firms AOBiome Therapeutics and Stealth Biotherapeutics Corp are seeking the greenlight to float in Hong Kong, adding to a fast-growing pipeline from the sector.

Asia’s primary bond market has been deathly silent this week, slammed shut by a pair of public holidays and a gun-shy investor base. But borrowers continue to wait on the sidelines, ready to jump at any chance they can get.

One year since the launch of Bond Connect, central bank officials say increasing liquidity on the bond link and harmonising the scheme with other access programmes are the key tasks at hand.

The emergence of securitization deals equipped with international ratings are a sign that Bond Connect investors are aiming for variety beyond government bonds, a senior official at the Chinese central bank told GlobalRMB on Tuesday.

Opera’s planned $115m Nasdaq IPO now has a cryptocurrency angle after Bitmain, a Chinese bitcoin miner, joined the deal as an anchor investor.

Hong Kong’s efforts to establish its position as a regional hub for technology companies are bearing fruit as IPO filings pile up. But the real measure of success will come after the summer, when the listings face a market saturated with new economy issuers.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s offshore bond regulator, has described media reports claiming it would ban bonds with maturities of under one-year as “groundless”.

Pinduoduo, one of China’s hottest internet start-ups, has filed for a $1bn IPO in the US, upping the ante in an e-commerce landscape dominated by Alibaba Group.

Chong Hing Bank’s head of structured finance has resigned, according to a source close to the move.