Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Synthetic Securitization in China

By Richard M. Schetman, Edwin C. Jean, and Jian Wang
May 31, 2006

China recently launched two offerings of asset backed securities ('ABS') in its interbank market after several years of preparation and planning. On Dec. 9, 2005, China Construction Bank ('CCB') issued 2.9 billion yuan ($360 million) of debt securities in China's first residential mortgage-backed securitization, and on Dec. 12, 2005, China Development Bank ('CDB') issued 4.2 billion yuan ($500 million) of debt securities backed by unsecured loans from the telecommunications, energy, utility, and transportation industries. To facilitate ABS offerings, China's regulatory agencies have promulgated rules to govern ABS issuances, including the Administrative Rules for Pilot Securitization of Credit Assets, promulgated by the People's Bank of China ('PBOC') and China Banking Regulatory Commission ('CBRC') on April 20, 2005, the Rules for the Information Disclosure of Asset-Backed Securities, promulgated by the PBOC on June 13, 2005, and Rules for Regulating Financial Institution's Securitization, promulgated by the CBRC on Dec. 1, 2005.

Despite China's significant progress in creating a legal framework for securitization, traditional securitization still faces numerous legal and operational obstacles in China. Significant restrictions on the transfer of financial assets remain. Certain fundamental bankruptcy issues relating to substantive consolidation and true sale remain to be addressed. The process to foreclose upon and liquidate collateral in mortgage-backed securitizations is not securitization-friendly. Borrowers must be notified before a mortgage can be assigned to a trust. Requiring a bank to sell its loans to a third-party special purpose vehicle ('SPV') is a fundamental requirement for a securitization to occur, but under Chinese business practices, doing so may compromise a bank's customer relationships.

This article discusses synthetic collateralized debt obligation ('CDO') technology as a possible way for Chinese banks to achieve certain benefits of securitization while circumventing many of the problems associated with a traditional securitization in China.

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.