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Banking & finance
News about the global financial industry with a focus on developments in Hong Kong and China.
Zhipu AI is moving closer to becoming the first large language model developer listed in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock
IPO

China’s Zhipu AI launches US$560 million share sale amid heated IPO tech race

The company, marketed overseas as Z.ai, eyes US$6.6 billion valuation with Hong Kong’s first large language model listing.

IPO

Insilico Medicine leads 6 Hong Kong IPOs, capping banner fundraising year

US Federal Reserve

Trump says preferred Fed pick is ready, again teases firing Powell

Iran

Iran’s president urges dialogue as currency plunge sparks protests

Anger over Iran’s worsening economic situation pushes people onto the streets in Tehran and other cities.

Iranian shopkeepers and traders protest against economic conditions as tear gas is fired by anti-riot police in Tehran on Monday. Photo: EPA
China trade

China has logged a US$1 trillion trade surplus. Where is all that money going?

Trade surplus growth has not been matched in foreign exchange reserves – a gap analysts said can be explained by private sector outflows.

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Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

OCBC, Bangkok Bank, First Abu Dhabi join US$14 billion offshore yuan scheme

Leading banks from Southeast Asia and the Middle East are taking part in the programme, underscoring the city’s push as an offshore yuan hub.

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Asia housing and property

The View | How AI helped Asia’s real estate sector pass the tariff stress test

While multiple factors are at play, this year’s tech exuberance helped the region’s property markets stay afloat.

Tourists take photos at the Lotte World Tower’s observation deck in Seoul on September 5. Photo : Xinhua
Bonds

Hong Kong bond markets, yuan issuance to expand in 2026 under HKMA, SFC road map

HKMA and SFC blueprint to drive multicurrency issuance, with green finance and Bond Connect widening investor base.

Investing

China launches venture capital fund to lead the charge on tech investment

The fund, which will put state-backed money behind early tech bets, could guide trillions of yuan in private capital to chosen sectors.

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Cryptocurrency

Opinion | To harness crypto ingenuity, financial threat must first be neutralised

Future of money must be shaped by competition between private ingenuity and public purpose, not by rent seeking and speculative bubbles.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Fintech

Why Hong Kong is emerging as the world’s AI crossroads between East and West

Hong Kong’s AI sector comprises 500 organisations, 290 companies and 183 investors active in finance, healthcare and government services.

Hong Kong is well positioned as an international hub for AI-driven innovation. Photo: May Tse
Stocks

Macroscope | Why Wall Street remains bullish on China amid economic slowdown

Just because fund managers were too bearish on China doesn’t mean their concerns were misplaced – economic fundamentals matter.

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Yuan

China’s offshore yuan breaks major benchmark as appreciation momentum builds

For the first time since 2024, the currency strengthened past the threshold of seven per US dollar – and did it again the next day.

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Yuan

China expands digital-yuan push to Singapore and Asean trade routes

PBOC pledges to integrate e-CNY into the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, boost adoption in Southeast Asia via China’s CIPS payment network.

A customer makes a payment using China’s digital currency, or e-CNY, at a store in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
China property

China Jinmao sells 5-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sanya for US$322 million

Asset restructuring aims to boost liquidity as mainland China developers face a prolonged property downturn.

Ritz-Carlton Sanya Yalong Bay has demonstrated mature and stable operations with favourable profitability and cash flow, says China Jinmao. Photo: Keith Chan
Wealth management

Billionaire detained in shadow banking scandal in China

Police in Zhejiang have imposed ‘criminal compulsory measures’ against Yu Faxiang and are conducting a probe into his alleged wrongdoings.

Fintech

HKIC ends year on high note but Hong Kong cost of living a drawback for talent

Government-backed fund strengthens VC ecosystem and fosters collaboration, but the city’s high cost of living remains a challenge.

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Biomedicine: Geopolitics

Global firms turn to M&A in EVs and biotech to deepen China investment: KPMG

Survey of multinational corporations finds optimism in life sciences, healthcare and manufacturing, with half forecasting revenue growth.

Healthcare and life sciences are the top growth prospects over the next three to five years, according to multinational corporations. Photo: Xinhua
Technology

Opinion | Forget the US dollar. Watch water and energy resources instead

In our increasingly hi-tech-based economy and financial systems, energy and water resources will be macroeconomically critical.

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China property

China Vanke wins bondholders’ reprieve, averts default for now

Holders of the 2 billion yuan note approve extension of grace period to January 28, but deny proposal to defer principal payment for a year.

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Fintech

Exclusive | Old lender, new twist: Shanghai Commercial Bank teams up with HashKey on card

The 75-year-old lender will work with the newly listed digital asset exchange to issue a co-branded Visa card for HashKey traders.

Shanghai Commercial Bank CEO Wallace Lam. Photo: Jonathan Wong
China debt

China to hide bad debt records for pandemic-hit borrowers who repay small loans

New policy by the People’s Bank of China applies to one-off debts up to 10,000 yuan incurred since 2020, aiming to help people rebuild credit.

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The People’s Bank of China has unveiled a credit-rehabilitation policy to help individuals who defaulted on small loans rebuild their financial standing. Photo: Reuters
Gold in Hong Kong

Gold takes centre stage as Hong Kong builds commodities ecosystem

Hong Kong plans to build an international gold trading centre as part of a wider commodities hub push.

IPO

Charles Li halts Hong Kong IPO plan for Micro Connect fund under HKEX Chapter 21

Former HKEX chief shifts to private fund model after regime fails to see a successful listing in a decade, raising call for a review.

IPO

Chinese GPU maker Biren kicks off bookbuilding for US$624 million Hong Kong IPO

The company, which is selling 247.7 million shares between HK$17 and HK$19.60 each, will become the first listing of 2026 on January 2.

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Biren’s IPO has attracted 23 cornerstone investors, including major asset management firms, domestic mutual funds and insurers. Photo: Handout
Japan

Will Japan’s young embrace 50-year loans amid rising housing prices?

Opting for 50-year loans lowers monthly costs, but the long-term risks are mounting.

People cross a road in Tokyo earlier this month. Fifty-year mortgages are transforming home ownership for young buyers in Japan. Photo: AFP
Japan

Bank of Japan’s historic rate increase signals new era for economy

Bank of Japan lifts rates to 0.75 per cent – a 30-year high – ending zero-interest era, paving the way for further increases amid rising inflation.

IPO

Chinese AI, chip start-ups court global investors with Hong Kong listing plans

GigaDevice and Montage are each aiming to raise as much as US$1 billion from Hong Kong listings as early as January, report says.

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