The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission's (CBIRC) nod comes as the world's second-largest economy opens up its giant financial sector to investments from foreign players, allowing them to collaborate with domestic banks. Goldman Sachs ICBC Wealth Management, set up in May last year with a 51% funding contribution from U.S. banking giant Goldman and 49% by ICBC, will now offer a broad range of investment products to the Chinese market over time, including quantitative investment strategies.
A Zimbabwean company that had been banking on Chinese financing to build a major coal-fired power plant says it is now looking for alternative backers as China pulls back on funding such projects overseas. The effort by RioZim Ltd, one of Zimbabwe's biggest mining and energy companies, reflects how China's recent U-turn on foreign coal financing is forcing developing nations across Africa and Asia to rethink their energy plans. China, which had been a top funder of coal power projects around the globe, announced in September it would not build new coal projects abroad as part of efforts to curb future carbon emissions.
South Africa's Standard Bank has commenced discussions with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) around exiting its 40% stake in the two lenders' London-based joint venture ICBC Standard Bank, chief executive officer Sim Tshabalala said on Friday. Standard Bank has been trying to exit the venture, a relic of its failed bid to become a global emerging markets lender, for some time, but been restricted by the terms of its agreement with ICBC.