China Urban and Rural Financial Times
January 2010

Asia Money has recently announced "The Best Asian Syndicated Loan in 2009." The Noble Group’s bank loan, with Agricultural Bank’s Singapore Branch as its main arranger and bookkeeper, won the award.

It is reported that International Financing Review Asia, Finance, and Finance Asia awarded "The Singapore Capital Market Lender of the Year," "The Best Issuer," and "The Best Borrower” in 2009 to the Noble Group in recognition of its excellent performance in financing innovation and improving market confidence.

It is also reported that the Noble Group ranked No. 218 among the world's top 500 companies in 2009. The Noble Group is a strategic partner of the Agricultural Bank of China, and it is directly handled by the Bank’s head office. As a successful example of domestic and overseas linkage marketing, in 2008, it was awarded "Ten Outstanding Marketing Projects" by the Bank’s head office.

In 2009, the Bank's Singapore Branch continued to strengthen its marketing of the Noble Group’s overseas projects and successfully marketed the leading arranger of the Noble Group's global syndicated loan. The Agricultural Bank of China organized and participated in the strategy-making and global road shows throughout the process. Initially, the syndicated loan only aimed at financing 1.8 billion U.S. dollars, but due to the excellent planning, strong promotion, controllable risks of the company itself, and the loan’s considerable proceeds, it attracted 63 banks from 26 countries and regions in five continents, and the subscription well exceeded the original plan. The syndicated loan amounted to 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in total and was regarded as "the largest USD syndicated loan in the Asia-Pacific Region in 2009." It has become important reference for syndicated loan pricing and structuring in the Asia-Pacific region.

Since the financial crisis, the Bank’s Singapore branch has seized important opportunities of Asia-Pacific financial industry’s restructuring and successfully marketed a number of international syndicated loans. Prior to this, the bank has just won the bid to become the main arranger and bookkeeper for Trafigura Group's 700 million USD syndicated loan.

Please find the original in Chinese here.