Chinese groups given corporate bond all-clear

The China Securities Regulatory Commission CSRC and the China Banking Regulatory Commission CBRC have announced guidelines that allow commercial banks to issue corporate bonds for the first time in an effort to expand options for cash-hungry banks to raise capital.

Qualified issuers will include commercial banks listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, or banks that have issued shares on overseas markets, or have applied for A-share listings but are still at the stage of review. The CSRC may revise the guidance in future to allow more banks to issue corporate bonds, said the announcement.

The guidance, unveiled on Friday, firstly encourages commercial banks to issue...