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Interview: Trade finance closer to paperless reality as law, standards and tokenisation converge

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Hari Janakiraman, head of industry and innovation, transaction banking at ANZ, discussed legal frameworks, digital standards and tokenisation pilots, including Australia's Project Acacia, with FA in an exclusive interview.

Andrew Cross to leave AIIB as chief financial officer

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After over six years with the infrastructure investment bank, Cross will take up a senior leadership role at another institution outside of Asia.

Srini Kannan to return to Citi in India

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Citi Commercial Bank in India has appointed Kannan as head of digital, technology, communication, business & professional services and industrials; he will join in December and has worked at JP Morgan for over 15 years.

LG Electronics India and Tata Capital list amid strong IPO demand

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The $1.3bn raise from the electronics giant and $1.75bn IPO from Tata Group's financial services arm attracted strong demand from institutional investors. Citi is seeing its largest Indian IPO pipeline on record.

Tradeweb appoints Rich Chun as head of Asia

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Rich Chun is appointed managing director, head of Asia at Tradeweb, effective immediately; he joins from HPS Investment Partners.

China bans dealings with five US subsidiaries of Korea's Hanwha Ocean

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The move is in response to a US investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors. The Hang Seng Index slumped on October 13 and 14 as US and China trade tensions ramp up.

Q&A: HOPU Investments on Asia’s rising control investing

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Gunther Hamm, president of HOPU Investments, discussed with FA key drivers for the growing popularity of investors taking controlling stakes of companies in Asia.

SGX gains momentum after market reforms

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The Equity Market Development Plan has helped boost IPOs and valuations this year, including SGX's appeal for secondary listings, such as US data firm AvePoint. FA spoke with experts at Cooley and Grasshopper Asia.

Trump threatens extra 100% tariffs on China

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The US administration wants to take retaliatory action for China’s rare earth export controls. US stock markets and cryptocurrencies lost billions of dollars in value on October 9, while gold has reached $4,000 an ounce. China's commerce ministry said "we aren't afraid to fight".

Opinion: China's cross-border M&A makes strategic shift

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Adam Zhang, managing director of Collabrium Partners, shares his views with FA on how Chinese companies are changing their approach to cross-border M&A, including finding opportunities in Southeast Asia and in technology.

SoftBank buys ABB's robotics arm for $5.38bn

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The division of the Swiss company has a workforce of approximately 7,000 and had revenues of $2.3bn in 2024; SoftBank is looking to fuse artificial super intelligence and robotics.

Blackstone and Abu Dhabi's Lunate team up for GCC logistics play

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The partnership, known as GLIDE, is targeting $5bn of high-quality warehouses across the Middle East; it's expected that more partners in the GCC will participate; FA understands an office is being set-up in Abu Dhabi.

Sibos 2025: Europe’s T+1 transition – what’s different from the US?

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Europe’s T+1 transition requires more preparation from financial firms, including infrastructure. Senior directors from BNP Paribas, Capco and DTCC explained why to FA, and how Asia has been adapting to the US transition.

Sony Financial Group in spin-off Tokyo listing

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The large Japanese financial services group consists of banking, life and non-life insurance businesses.

Hong Kong unveils roadmap with aim to become global fixed income hub

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The HKMA and SFC want to encourage primary issuances, enhance secondary liquidity, improve infrastructure, and play a prominent role in the internationalisation of the Renminbi.

Zijin Gold International's $3.2bn HKEX IPO sees shares soar 68%

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The international arm of the Chinese mining giant has raised HK$25bn, the second biggest listing of the year.

Chery Automobile makes $1.2bn HKEX IPO debut

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The September 25 listing of the Chinese car giant is the largest IPO globally in the automobile sector in 2025.

PTT Global Chemical issues SEA’s largest perpetual notes

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Consisting of two tranches, the notes are the first US dollar-denominated subordinated perpetual notes from the Thai issuer.

FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2025: deadline extended

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Entry deadline for the FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2025 is now extended to September 26, 2025; the awards will celebrate the best deals and firms across Asia Pacific and the Middle East over the last 12 months.

HKEX signs MoU with Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange

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As ties build between Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi, the two exchanges are exploring joint initiatives in market promotion, ETFs, ESG-related products, cross-listings and "other areas of mutual interest".

Barclays hires Neel Laungani as Apac head of financial sponsors

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Hong Kong-based Laungani was most recently Apac managing director and head of financial sponsors coverage at Credit Suisse.

Trump’s policies set to accelerate Rmb’s global rise: analysts

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In the long run, as China’s currency is increasingly used abroad, it will be one of the few leading global currencies, however US strength will maintain the supremacy of the US dollar, according to analysts at a Sino-German roundtable.

Bangladesh faces LDC graduation dilemma as businesses fear impact

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Bangladeshi businesses and economists are pressing the government to defer the graduation from the UN’s least developed country (LDC) status. They argue the government needs to consider the impacts on exports, tariffs, loans and patents.

Dim sum bond issuance builds momentum towards ‘record year’

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Corporate issuances are increasing in the offshore Renminbi bond market, despite challenges around rates, liquidity and diversification; Hong Kong is poised to benefit.

Chinese lidar maker Hesai Technology lists on HKEX

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Cornerstone investors in the tech firm's listing include Hillhouse Investment Management, Taikang Life Insurance and Grab; net proceeds were $514m and the firm's valuation climbed above $4.6bn on its September 16 debut.

Citi names Lee Lung-Nien as Singapore country officer, banking head

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The Singaporean Citi veteran has over three decades of experience at the US bank and replaces Tibor Pandi.

ASIC: ANZ admits widespread misconduct, agrees to pay record A$240m in penalties

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The Australian regulator has cited four proceedings at the bank spanning misconduct across ANZ's institutional and retail divisions, including over the management of a A$14bn government bond issue; ANZ, which is cutting 3,500 jobs, has admitted to "unconscionable conduct" and apologised.

China Pacific Insurance completes HK$15.56bn convertible bond offering

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The record transaction from the Chinese insurance giant shows strong investor demand for hybrid equity instruments; the proceeds will be used for AI and international expansion.

Templewater and Oman Investment Authority launch $200m clean energy fund

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The fund is aiming to catalyse Oman’s energy transformation and economic diversification under Oman Vision 2040; alternative asset manager Templewater, which has offices in Hong Kong and Singapore, has also set-up an office in Muscat.

Will Hong Kong open its doors to retail stablecoins?

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Despite the promising pass of an Ordinance, use cases of stablecoins in Hong Kong remain vague. Adopting retail stablecoins depends on multiple factors, including the regulator’s stance and technical concerns, such as monitoring unhosted wallets.

Societe Generale appoints Singapore, SEA country head

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Alvaro Huete has been with the French bank for 28 years and is relocating from Paris to Singapore.

KKR buys Korea's Samwha for $520m

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Private equity firm TPG is selling the luxury cosmetics packaging firm after purchasing it in July 2023 for around $230m.

Hogan Lovells bolsters Greater China M&A practice with two partner hires

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David Wang and Meka Meng have joined from Paul Hastings in Shanghai and Beijing.

HSBC's Luanne Lim named Hang Seng Bank's next CEO; Maggie Ng named next HSBC HK CEO

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HSBC's Hong Kong CEO to replace Diana Cesar, who is returning to HSBC in October; Maggie Ng, HSBC's Hong Kong head of wealth and personal banking, is set to replace Lim as HSBC Hong Kong CEO.

HSBC's Luanne Lim named Hang Seng Bank's next CEO; Maggie Ng to add HSBC Hong Kong CEO role

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In October, Lim, HSBC's HK CEO will replace Hang Seng's Diana Cesar, who is returning to HSBC; Ng, HSBC HK's head of wealth and personal banking, is set to replace Lim as HK CEO, in addition to her other roles.

HSBC's Luanne Lim named Hang Seng Bank's next CEO

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HSBC's Hong Kong CEO to replace Diana Cesar, who is returning to HSBC in October.

Cooley adds Singapore emerging companies, venture capital partner

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David He, who has global experience across M&A, private equity and restructurings, joined from Gunderson Dettmer at the beginning of September.

Development Bank of Kazakhstan makes first offshore Rmb bond issuance

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CICC was the lead global coordinator on the Rmb2bn dim sum bond issuance with a yield of 3.35%; the bonds were listed on the HKEX and will be used for Belt & Road initiatives.

Citi hires Kaustubh Kulkarni from JP Morgan for Asia investment banking role

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Kulkarni is set to join Citi in December in Singapore to become co-head, Citi investment banking for Japan, Asia North, Australia, and Asia South, serving alongside Jan Metzger.

Hong Kong and Washington race to regulate the future of digital finance

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Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Law is cementing the financial hub’s digital ambitions, however pending US crypto laws are keeping regulatory competition tight as both chase the growing opportunity.

Global lenders turn to tech and stress tests amid tariff surge

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Global lenders are looking to overhaul risk frameworks as US tariff actions collide with Asia’s export dependence. Experts shared their views on how regulators are embedding geopolitical shocks into stress scenarios, while banks turn to tech and client engagement to prepare for strains likely to surface in 2026.

Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered sign off $184m loan for Thai satellite project

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The loan will finance Thaicom's Space Tech Innovation’s contract with France’s Airbus Defence & Space to manufacture a software-defined high throughput satellite.

Samty sells two investment pools of multifamily assets in Japan for ¥49bn

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The buyers of the multifamily assets were sovereign wealth funds and follows the closure of a hotel real estate fund in July.

Trump’s tariffs to remain in place despite court ruling

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The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit agreed with another court's verdict that most of the tariffs are illegal; however the tariffs, including 50% on many Indian goods, will stay in place until October 14 to allow an appeal to the Supreme Court.

360 One Asset buys 50% of Pune business park from Brookfield

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The deal for 50% of Bluegrass Business Park, worth is worth $280m, includes an under-construction office tower and a one-million square foot tower leased to Mastercard.

Crédit Agricole CIB names Apac head of corporate and leveraged finance

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Quentin Galmiche will start the role in Hong Kong on September 1; he first joined the French bank in 2009.

Australia’s Octa makes A$355m loan debut from Clifford Capital, NAB and SMBC for clean energy push

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The funds were raised to further support the firm’s cleaner energy supply to remote mining sites across Australia; this is the first debt fundraising from Octa Group.

Citi appoints Galvin Phua in new Asia North, Asia South markets role

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Singapore-based Phua has become head of markets solutions under cluster sales, Asia North and Asia South, for clients of Citi Commercial Bank.

Exclusive: Marex begins to offer China internationalised futures contracts

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The financial services platform continues its Apac expansion by offering 24 futures and options products, including agricultural commodities, energy, metals and freight, from the Shanghai International Energy Exchange, Dalian Commodity Exchange and Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange.

Interview: How Dubai's maturing real estate market is attracting global capital

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FA spoke to Andrew Cummings, head of residential agency at Savills Middle East, about recent shifts in Dubai’s real estate landscape. He shared insights on foreign capital flows, the impact of infrastructure and regulatory reforms, and how new ownership models are influencing long-term investor activity.