February 9, 2012 — Minsheng Financial Leasing Co. Ltd. (MSFL), China’s main non-banking financial institution, formed a strategic alliance with semiconductor fab deposition tool supplier AIXTRON SE (FSE:AIXA; NASDAQ:AIXG), making leasing options available to AIXTRON’s customers in China.
MSFL’s financial services will help customers in China, primarily light emitting diode (LED) manufacturers, obtain metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) tools from AIXTRON. Tools include the CRIUS II-XL (Close Coupled Showerhead) and the AIX G5 HT (Planetary Reactor) systems among other options.
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| Photo. Feng Wang, (CPO, president of Finance Leases SBU MSFL) and Wolfgang Breme (CFO AIXTRON) signed the Memorandum of Understanding at a ceremony held at MSFL’s headquarters in Beijing. |
The agreement helps LED makers acquire MOCVD equipment despite "temporary restrictions in China in the availability of financing," noted Rong Wang, CFO of MSFL. Breme added that leasing MOCVD tools is "a relatively new concept" in China. LED technology has been defined as one of the key industries (energy conservation/environmental protection, new materials) in China’s 12th 5-year plan aiming to ensure long-term prosperity. In 2011, China was the biggest single regional buyer of MOCVD equipment, accounting for 58% of all global shipments within that period.
China’s LED market showed 45% annual growth in 2011 and is expected to grow in output value from CNY 120 billion in 2010 to CNY 500 billion during the course of the 12th 5-year plan.
Minsheng Financial Leasing was established in April 2008 and is one of the first five leasing companies approved by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) in China. MSFL is co-sponsored by China Minsheng Banking Corporation Ltd. (81.25%) and Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone Investment Co., Ltd. (18.75%) with total registered capital of CNY 3.2 billion. In 2009, MSFL’s total financial leasing business amounted to CNY 18.5 billion and comprised assets amounting to CNY 23.6 billion. The company provides professional and quality financial leasing products and services to domestic and foreign large and SME enterprises.
AIXTRON makes production equipment for compound, silicon or organic semiconductors and carbon nanostructures including graphene. For further information on AIXTRON (FSE: AIXA, ISIN DE000A0WMPJ6; NASDAQ: AIXG, ISIN US0096061041) visit www.aixtron.com.