Chinese Developer Sunac Seeks Chapter 15 Protection in New York Court

Chinese Developer Sunac Seeks Chapter 15 Protection in New York Court
People on a property tour talk outside of a show flat at a residential property developed by Sunac China Holdings in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, on June 22, 2019. Lusha Zhang/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

Chinese developer Sunac China Holdings has filed for Chapter 15 protection from creditors in a U.S. bankruptcy court, court documents showed on Tuesday.

The company sought protection under Chapter 15 of the U.S. bankruptcy code, which shields non-U.S. companies that are undergoing restructurings from creditors that hope to sue them or tie up assets in the United States.

Creditors of Sunac China Holdings approved its $9 billion offshore debt restructuring plan on Monday, marking the first approval of such debt overhaul by a major Chinese property developer.

Sunac is among a string of Chinese property developers that have defaulted on their offshore debt payment obligations since the sector was hit by a liquidity crisis in 2021, roiling global markets.