North Asia

Hong Kong payment platform Wonder has raised $12m in venture debt from HSBC Innovation Banking to accelerate its regional expansion.

The global law firm has promoted regional managing partner William Liu to drive regional strategy as it marks 50 years in the region.

The UK pharmaceutical giant has announced a landmark $15bn China investment during the UK prime minister’s visit, marking its largest expansion yet to boost manufacturing, R&D and biotech collaboration.

Xu Qing, who has been at the bank for over a decade, will oversee all credit and risk functions in Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan.

Chinese transactions are benefitting from a booming IPO market in Hong Kong, which is driving Asia growth from a low base.

Hong Kong's finance chief discussed opportunities in the Northern Metropolis, developing AI, foreign tech firms entering the SAR, green finance, and China's evolving role in supply chains.

Allied Gold owns several large gold mines in Africa with the Canadian firm describing the all-cash offer as "friendly"; its annual gold output is expected to increase to 25 tonnes by 2029.

Despite challenges, regional opportunities exist in structured credit, defensive corporate exposures, high-yield bonds, and emerging market sovereigns, according to MFS Investment Management's Pilar Gomez-Bravo.

Coller Capital is a global secondaries firm with around $50bn in AUM and six Apac offices. EQT's CEO believes Coller's business can double in size in under four years; the PE giant is paying up to $3.7bn. In Japan, EQT has launched a bid for Mamezo.