Orix to invest $1b in Chinese water, energy companies

Japanese financial services provider Orix Corp (IX.NYSE, 8591.TYO) will invest as much as US$1 billion over the next two years in Chinese companies dealing with water, machinery and renewable energy, Bloomberg reported. Orix plans to buy stakes in Chinese firms that provide infrastructure for sewage treatment and solar power plants, the company’s president Makoto Inoue said. “Our basic strategy is to exit within five years after our initial investment by offering shares or selling stakes,” said Inoue. “We’d prefer to cash in on short-term projects with a decent rate of return.” Orix bought a 14.5% stake in Hong Kong-based China Waters Affairs Group (0855.HK) in May. According to the Asian Development Bank Institute, developing nations across the region require about US$776 billion a year in financing through 2020 in order to meet power, water and sanitation demands.