Main topic: Evergrande Group, a heavily indebted property giant in China, has filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in a U.S. court.
Key points:
1. Evergrande defaulted in 2021 and announced an offshore debt restructuring program in March 2022.
2. The Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection allows a U.S. court to intervene in cross-border insolvency cases involving foreign companies undergoing restructuring.
3. China's real estate sector, which accounts for a significant portion of the country's GDP, has been facing challenges, and Evergrande's bankruptcy filing adds to investor concerns.
### Summary
Chinese property giant Evergrande is seeking approval from a US court for a debt restructuring plan for foreign bondholders and denies reports that it has filed for bankruptcy.
### Facts
- 💰 Evergrande, which is struggling with $340 billion in debt, is asking a US court to approve a restructuring plan for its foreign bondholders.
- ❌ The company denies news reports suggesting that it has filed for bankruptcy and clarifies that its request under Chapter 15 of the US bankruptcy code is a normal step in the overseas restructuring procedure.
- 📝 Evergrande negotiated a restructuring agreement with investors in its US dollar-denominated bonds under the legal systems of Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands but needs approval from a bankruptcy court in New York City due to New York state law.
- 💸 The company faced a cash shortage after Chinese authorities tightened controls on corporate debt in 2020. Other property developers collapsed, leaving unfinished apartment buildings.
- 🏠 Evergrande claims to have more assets than debt but struggles to convert slow-selling real estate into cash for repayment of creditors.
- 🇨🇳 The Chinese government has sought to reassure investors that Evergrande's problems are contained and that lending markets will continue to function.
China Evergrande Group has canceled upcoming creditor meetings and stated it needs to reassess its proposed restructuring, leading to more uncertainty surrounding one of China's largest ever restructurings.
China Evergrande Group, a distressed property group, is unable to issue new debt due to an ongoing probe into its key subsidiary Hengda Real Estate Group, further complicating its efforts to restructure offshore debt.
China Evergrande Group's shares and those of its peers plunged after the troubled property developer faced difficulties in finalizing its debt restructuring plan, causing concerns to resurface about the crisis-hit Chinese property sector.
Evergrande, the embattled Chinese developer, is facing trouble with its debt restructuring plan due to a regulatory probe into its subsidiary, Hengda Real Estate Group, which could lead to liquidation if a new deal with creditors cannot be reached.
Shares of China Evergrande Group were suspended on Thursday by Hong Kong's exchange, as the chairman of the embattled real estate developer is reportedly under surveillance.
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