Singapore's investment arm Temasek Holdings announced on Friday
that its total investments in China had amounted to 7.5 billion
Singapore dollars, or 35 billion yuan, underlining its
determination to strengthen its foothold in Asia's most dynamic
market.
"Temasek is now placing great importance on Asia and investment
in China is an essential part of its business," Ms. Cheo Hock Kuan,
Temasek's Senior Managing Director and Chief Representative for
China told Xinhua on Friday.
Temasek has bolstered its presence in many Chinese industries,
including the banking and financial sector, energy and resources,
transport and logistics, telecoms and media, pharmacy and health
care.
Ms. Cheo said Temasek is keen to invest in State-owned
enterprises (SOEs) or other large companies that serve as
broad-based proxies for the economic transformation in China.
"Temasek is also interested in investing in promising and fast
growing businesses, particularly those that meet the growing
consumer demands, or facilitate the increasing integration of China
into the regional and global economy," said Ms. Cheo.
According to Cheo, a new cargo airline venture between Temasek,
Singapore Airlines Cargo and China Great Wall Industry Corp plans
to begin its operations in the first half of this year. Besides
destinations within China, the new cargo airline will also serve
destinations in the United States, Europe, North East Asia and
South West Asia.
Cheo believes the new cargo airline will promote China's
integration into the global economy.
Temasek's biggest investment in China is in the banking sector.
Investment Managing Director Frank Tang told Xinhua that Temasek
reinforced cooperation with China's banks last year through its
wholly owned Asia Financial Holdings (AFH).
According to Tang, AFH has just completed a five percent stake
purchase in the Bank of China (BOC) for 1.5 billion US dollars,
though Temasek originally hoped the stake could be 10 percent. But
it will try to invest an additional 1 million dollars in BOC's
initial public offering (IPO).
Prior to this, AFH acquired a five percent stake in China
Minsheng Banking Corp Ltd in January last year and purchased a 5.1
percent stake in another big Chinese state commercial bank - China
Construction Bank last August.
Tang said China's banking reforms offer a good opportunity for
Temasek to enter China. Temasek is confident for the future growth
of financial industry in China as well as the whole of Asia, and
believes it can create sustainable value for its shareholders.
"Temasek hopes, as an active investor and a responsible
long-term shareholder, to add value to China's banks' efforts to
achieve sustainable growth on a robust risk management and
governance platform," said Tang.
Senior Financial Economist with the Asian Development Bank Zhang
Xuechun said China has been recognized as one of the
fastest-growing economies in the world which enjoys a high
return-rate for investors.
In addition, the Chinese banking authority is taking an active
attitude towards inviting overseas investors as it is opening the
banking sector soon, which creates an favorable environment for
Temasek to focus its investment in the Chinese market, said
Zhang.
In order to strengthen the connection with more Chinese
companies, Temasek established the Temasek Beijing Representative
Office in 2004. Then it opened an office in Hong Kong last Year.
Temasek also plans to open an office in Shanghai in the first half
of this year.
"We are confident in China's long-term prospects," said Cheo.
"As Chinese enterprises seek further growth, we will look for
opportunities to partner them in their expansion to become regional
and global champions."
Temasek now manages a diversified global portfolio worth 103
billion Singapore dollars. In the next decade, Temasek said it
expects to see about one third of its operating asset exposure in
Singapore, another third in the rest of Asia.
According to Cheo, Temasek is now working with China's
State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the
State Council (SASAC) on China's SOEs reform.
China hopes to learn from Temasek's experience in corporate
management, said sources with the SASAC.
Both sides established a working group earlier last year headed
by Cheo and SASAC Vice Director Wang Yong.
A three-week SASAC-Temasek Directors Forum was held last August,
with over 170 participants from China's SOEs and SASAC discussing
board-related topics with various Temasek-linked companies and
their board members, said Cheo.
The Chairman of Temasek Holdings, Dhanabalan described Temasek's
journey as that "Like China, we too have crossed many rivers of
change and transformation by feeling the stones on the way."
"We know we have many more rivers to cross in the journey ahead
to transform lives and build a future through successful
enterprise," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency?March 4, 2006)