Greater China

China Railway Signal & Communications Corp (CRSC) started investor education for its $2bn Hong Kong IPO on Monday, July 20, becoming the first issuer brave enough to proceed with its equity-raising plans following the mainland stock market’s dramatic collapse earlier this month.

Central China Securities Co is placing out new H-shares in a deal expected to raise HK$2.53bn ($327m). The trade makes it the first Chinese broker to tap equity investors for funds since China’s stock market meltdown sent the region into a tailspin earlier this month.

Three Chinese issuers came out on July 23 with new bonds. China Oilfield Services (COSL) and China Minmetals launched bookbuilding for dollar offerings, while Capital Juda started taking bids for a offshore renminbi (CNH) bond.

ABN Amro has announced the appointment of Oliver Kuan to CFO of the bank’s Greater China offices and wholesale banking Asia businesses.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has given Peter Guenthardt the role of sole head of Asia Pacific global capital markets, following the departure of his former co-head and BAML veteran Jason Cox, according to a memo seen by GlobalCapital Asia.

Export Import Bank of Korea (Kexim) made a quick return to the offshore renminbi market this week, copying the pioneering approach it took in February when it sold the country’s first single tranche CNH deal to be listed in both Taiwan and Singapore.

A joint venture between New York's Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and the Euroclear group could provide a model for a future Bond Connect scheme allowing foreign investors easier access to China's onshore bond markets, Euroclear has told GlobalRMB.

China Construction Bank (CCB) Financial Leasing Corp successfully issued its debut dollar bond on July 21. The $500m deal was multiple times covered as high quality investors competed to get their hands on the strong name in a rare sector that offered attractive pricing.

Bank of Communications (BoCom) opened books on July 22 to what is the first additional tier one (AT1) transaction out of China this year, selling a dollar-denominated preference share offering. Similar to its predecessors Bank of China (BoC) and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), BoCom already has plenty of clarity on the book ahead of launch in spite of some aggressive price guidance.

Commodity trader Trafigura has returned for its annual Asian financing, seeking $1.6bn from the offshore loan market. A number of existing lenders have formed the mandated lead arranger and bookrunner group for the deal, which mirrors the company’s 2014 fundraising in structure.

Die casting machine manufacturer LK Machinery Co has launched syndication for an HK$600m ($77m) three year amortising loan, picking HSBC and United Overseas Bank to arrange the deal.

Zhuhai Huafa Group is preparing to make its second foray into the offshore bond market, with investor meetings expected to kick off on July 23 for a renminbi offering.