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24 Chinese firms facing $12bn in debt payments due by end of 2015

A total of 24 Chinese companies have a total of US$12 billion in bond payments due by the year’s end, Bloomberg reported. “We may see more onshore bond defaults in the second half, helping weed out the weakest companies,” said Wang Ying, an analyst at Fitch Ratings. But Wang added that firms with a strong, state-owned […]

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Banking & Finance Economics & Trade Law & Regulation Politics & Society

Debt-swap quota for local governments doubled to RMB1tn

Financial regulators have confirmed the doubling of an RMB1 trillion (US$161 billion) quota to local governments to swap high-interest debt for lower-cost bonds, Bloomberg reported, citing a statement from the Ministry of Finance. Chinese banks are being told to buy the new, longer-maturity, lower-yield bonds to alleviate a funding crunch among provinces in order to […]

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Banking & Finance Economics & Trade Investment Politics & Society

China to have veto power at AIIB

China will have veto power over major decisions at the Beijing-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a copy of the bank’s articles of incorporation approved at an April meeting of its 57 founding member countries. The articles call for the AIIB to be overseen by an unpaid, nonresident board of […]

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Banking & Finance Investment

HSBC to shed up to 50,000 jobs as focus shifts to Asia in global overhaul

HSBC announced on Tuesday it would cut up to a fifth of its 250,000-employee workforce and increase investment in Asia – where it generates more than half of its earnings – as the bank overhauls its global business, The New York Times reported, citing a statement from the company. 22,000-25,000 full-time jobs will be cut, […]

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Banking & Finance Investment Law & Regulation Markets

Regulator said to mull allowing rollover of margin trading for A-shares

The China Securities Regulatory Commission may allow Chinese brokerages to extend margin trading and short-selling contracts with clients up to two times for six months each, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. “By allowing rollover, the CSRC may want to curb short-term speculation and ease volatility as investors don’t have to sell their holdings when the […]