IslamicFinance.de

With only roughly 20 million Muslims in #China, it is not surprising that Islamic finance has not taken off in China. However, some Chinese companies have expressed interest in tapping into offshore pools of Islamic funds. For example, HNA Group, the owner of Hainan airlines, is considering Islamic financing options for its proposed US$ 150 million acquisition of ships as well as a large offering of offshore Sukuk. Another example is that of Country Garden, which issued a Malaysian Ringgit 1.5 billion sukuk through its Malaysian subsidiary in December 2015. Chinese interest in Islamic finance can be motivated by the diversification of funding sources as much as financial diplomacy purposes. China’s growing geo-political clout via the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative affords new incentives to facilitate the use of Islamic finance.