(ECNS) -- China Central Depository & Clearing Co., Ltd. (CCDC) supported Shanghai Electric Group Global Investment Ltd., a wholly owned overseas subsidiary of Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd., in issuing 1.5 billion yuan (about $209 million) in pilot free trade zone (FTZ) offshore bonds on Wednesday.

The three-year bonds carry a coupon rate of 1.8%.

The issuance set several records: it is the world's first corporate FTZ offshore bond, the first FTZ offshore bond to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and the largest single-tranche FTZ offshore bond issuance to date. The bonds attracted strong interest from investors in Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The issuance marks a significant step forward in the development of the FTZ offshore bond market, broadening the issuer base from financial institutions to high-quality corporate entities while further diversifying market participants and product offerings.