China Evergrande is ordered to liquidate, with over $300 billion in debt. Here's what that means.
ABC News
A court in Hong Kong has ordered China Evergrande, the world's most deeply indebted company with more than $300 billion in liabilities, to be liquidated
A court in Hong Kong on Monday ordered China Evergrande to be liquidated in a decision that marks a milestone in China's efforts to resolve a crisis in its property industry that has rattled financial markets and dragged on the entire economy. Here's what happened and what it means, looking ahead.
WHAT IS CHINA EVERGRANDE?
Evergrande, founded in the mid-1990s by Hui Ka Yan (also known as Xu Jiayin), it is the world’s most deeply indebted developer with more than $300 billion in liabilities and $240 billion in assets. The company has operations sprawling other industries including electric vehicles and property services, with about 90% of its assets on the Chinese mainland.
WHY IS EVERGRANDE IN TROUBLE?
Hong Kong High Court Judge Linda Chan ordered the company to be liquidated because it is insolvent and unable to repay its debts. The ruling came 19 months after creditors petitioned the court for help and after last-minute talks on a restructuring plan failed. Evergrande is the best known of scores of developers that have defaulted on debts after Chinese regulators cracked down on excessive borrowing in the property industry in 2020. Unable to obtain financing, their vast obligations to creditors and customers became unsustainable. Hui has been detained in China since late September, adding to the company's woes.
