Greater China

Credit Suisse’s top man in loan syndications for Asia is leaving the bank to pursue new opportunities, according to sources close to the move.

Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (Apicorp) became the second issuer from the Gulf to tap the offshore renminbi market this week, making this year already the biggest on record for Gulf renminbi bonds.

Bank of China joined its Chinese peers to sell floating rate notes (FRNs) offshore, while Fantasia Holdings Group Co added to the momentum in the high beta property sector. The two finished off an incredible week for both financial and corporate borrowers from the Mainland.

In the second of a four-part series of articles on China’s financial transformation, GlobalRMB considers the nation’s banking reforms, which will allow a horde of foreign banks to gain more traction in the country. At the same time, Chinese banks are moving in the opposite direction.

Standard Chartered announced solid profit growth for 2017, with the bank underlining that the rise of renminbi will continue to present business opportunities for the group, and that the currency could make up 5% of global payments by 2020.

Weber Lo, country officer and chief executive of Hong Kong and Macau at Citi, has resigned from the bank effective May 1, according to an internal memo and confirmed by a bank spokesperson.

Invesco unveils a fixed income fund focused on Belt and Road countries, regulators release the first batch of qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII) quotas of 2018, and Boston-based Acadian Asset Management begins buying Chinese A-shares.

Stock Connect volumes and a broader RMB offering played a key role in helping the Hong Kong Exchange (HKEX) turn a profit last year.

Brian Gu, one of JP Morgan’s most senior investment bankers in Asia, has left the bank to join Chinese electric car startup XPENG Motors.

The IPO filing season in Hong Kong is picking up steam, with a number of issuers submitting their applications for new listings this week.

China's SAIC-GMAC Automotive Finance wants to raise Rmb3bn ($473.7m) from an asset-backed securitization on Monday.

Hopes that green bonds will become an established segment of the sovereign bond market rose this week when Belgium launched its first one to an enthusiastic reception and Hong Kong’s government set out plans for a HK$100bn ($12.8bn) green bond programme.