China
Transactional risks - Solutions: Coming of age
Companies with reinvigorated balance sheets are displaying renewed appetite for mergers and acquisitions. John McNally and Tim Allen detail how evolving transactional risk insurance solutions mean the market can meet their needs.
Interview - Bart de Smet: Return to fitness
Despite being one of the most high-profile casualties of the financial crisis, Ageas is now focusing on the future rather than the past. Jonathan Swift meets group CEO Bart De Smet to discuss its UK plans, acquisitions and why big is not necessarily…
Allianz on track to eclipse £30m target
Allianz Commercial is expanding its cross-border insurance offering as part of a relaunch of its UK mid-corporate operation.
GC unveils new global analytics MD
Guy Carpenter has named Imelda Powers as its new managing director of Global Analytics. The appointment is with immediate effect.
Groupama joins forces with Chinese industrial group for new joint venture
Mr Jean Azéma, CEO of Groupama and Mr Gu Huizhong, vice president and CFO of AVIC Group Aviation Industry Corporation of China Group, have signed a memorandum of understanding in order to finalise an agreement to create a joint venture by 31 December…
Axa unveils Chinese tie-up
Axa, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Minmetals Corporation have reached agreement on the equity transfer of Axa-Minmetals Assurance Co.
Zurich ranks 9/11 and SARS top "mega-disasters" of last decade
Terrorist attacks, hurricanes, and pandemic risks top the list of “Top Ten Mega Disasters” of the past decade, released today by Zurich.
Aon warns food industry of walking "blindly" into China media storm
Businesses in the EU involved with importing or selling food and beverage products from China are walking, often blindly, into a potential legal and media storm, according to Aon.
Germany drives European recovery
The recovery of the world economy continues, according to the latest quarterly ICC/IFO World Economic Survey.
Allianz to target Bric countries after extending 60 year old VW deal
Volkswagen Financial Services and Allianz Global Automotive have today signed a letter of intent, agreeing to strategically expand their 60 year-old successful partnership and to continue it in the long term.
BIS countdown - Douglas Williams: Speaking economically
With a track record in successfully predicting the economy, Douglas McWilliams gives Jonathan Swift his current forecast.
Insurance exports hit a new high according to The City UK report
Net UK insurance exports reached a record £8.3bn in 2009 according to a new report.
Bowring Marsh opens Hong Kong office
The specialist international placement broker at Marsh has expanded its footprint in Asia with the opening of its ninth Hong Kong office.
Lloyd's faces 12 month Chinese deadline admits CIO
Lloyd’s has been set a testing 12 month deadline by the Chinese authorities to establish its underwriting platform.
Haiti and Mozambique most vulnerable to economic losses from natural disasters
Italy, Japan, China, USA, Spain and France also rated “high risk” on The Natural Disasters Economic Loss Index (NDELI), released by risk intelligence and ratings company, Maplecroft.
Non-life weathers storm
In the UK non-life premiums fell 3.1% to $92bn (£61bn) in 2009 (which ranked it fourth behind the US, Japan and Germany) out of a total of $309bn (which ranked the UK third behind the US and Japan), and that insurance penetration was 12.9%, according to…
Swiss Re: global non-life premium dips 0.1% in 2009 to $1 735bn
According to Swiss Re’s latest “World insurance in 2009” sigma study, world insurance premium volume fell 1.1% on an inflation-adjusted basis.
Execs would not be surpised if Eurozone shrinks, report claims
Rising sovereign debt in the developed world is one of the main concerns for the world’s business leaders and financial executives, according to 440 senior executives who participated in a survey commissioned by RBC Capital Markets.
Levene laments 2010, the year of "direct hits"
The chairman of Lloyd’s has described 2010 as the year of “direct hits”.
Mexican body joins international trading agreement
The International Association of Insurance Supervisors has admitted Comision Nacional de Seguros y Fianzas, Mexico to the list of signatories of the IAIS Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding.
China regulator aims to open more investment channels for insurers
The China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CRIC) is discussing loosening the investment channels of insurance companies, according to newswire the Xinhua News Agency.
Postscript - 10 years ago: Europeans get Chinese permission
Looking through Post's back cataloguepaints a unique picture of more than 150 years of insurance news, as this highlight from 10 years ago reveals.
Bangladesh, Indonesia and Iran top natural disaster ranking
Bangladesh, Indonesia and Iran have been rated as the nations most at risk from extreme weather and geophysical events according to a new study ranking 229 countries on their vulnerability to natural disasters.
Carrer development & CSR news: Lloyd's and syndicates extend support for Chinese school
Lloyd's has donated a further £50 000 towards the development of a primary school in the remote Chinese province of Yunnan. The funding from Lloyd's China and its syndicates will enable 120 extra students to attend the school following construction of a…