Minsheng bank issues bonds targeting small businesses

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., a commercial bank whose shareholders are mainly from private enterprises, on Friday started issuing its first batch of financial bonds this year to raise capital for loans to small businesses. The bond issuance period is set for Feb. 10-14. The maximum value of the five-year bonds to be issued is 30 billion yuan (4.8 billion U.S. dollars). The interest rate of the bonds is yet to be decided but will be based on agreement by the bank and underwriters. According to a previous announcement by the bank on Feb. 7, the money raised will be used for capital lending to the country's small and micro-sized companies. Credit has long been a headache for the country's small companies as major state-owned banks tend to favor lending to large companies. The State Council last October pledged more support to small and micro-sized companies, financially and fiscally. China's banking regulator has since November allowed banks including Minsheng, the Pudong Development Bank and the Industrial Bank to issue financial bonds tailored to support credit-lending to small and micro-sided firms. In December, the Industrial Bank issued 30 billion yuan of five-year bonds with an interest rate of 4.2 percent.