Hong Kong SAR

King & Wood Mallesons has expanded its team in Hong Kong with the recruitment of two new partners, one of them an IPO specialist, the law firm said in a statement.

China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings (CALC) has made its syndicated loan debut with a $194.73m borrowing.

With a Federal Reserve rate hike possibly coming in June, the question on top of analysts’ minds is whether there will be a repeat of the panic in the RMB market like what was seen in January. But luckily this time around, China’s commitment to stability is likely to keep volatility at bay.

Hang Seng Bank has promoted from within to fill the position of head of structured finance, commercial real estate and corporate advisory, following Mimi Cheng’s recent departure.

China Jinmao Holdings Group is offering to buy back its $600m perpetual convertible bond, one of only four such deals to have been issued since 2010 in the region.

In this round-up, the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect see steady volumes on its southbound channel, the Sino-German exchange in Frankfurt marks its first six months and HKEX offers new details on its expanded RMB futures. Plus, a recap of GlobalRMB’s top stories this week.

Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank has sent out a request for proposals to banks to lead its up to $1.5bn Hong Kong listing, said a source who has received the RFP.

Hong Kong’s Jacobson Pharma Corp is preparing to launch its IPO in early July and is seeking $150m from the float, according to a source close to the situation.

The position of treasurer at the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) has changed hands after eight years.

Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) is calling for the city’s government to start issuing green bonds in order to become a regional centre for green financing.

The four month hiatus in Panda bond issuance in China’s interbank bond market has ended with Chong Hing Bank’s Rmb1.5bn ($229m) note.

Jefferies has poached one of India’s top bankers from HSBC to be its head of capital markets for India and southeast Asia.