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 [转帖]WSJ:投资失误与资金危机将AIG逼到绝境 |
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[转帖]WSJ:投资失误与资金危机将AIG逼到绝境 -- 游客 - (10208 Byte) 2008-9-18 周四, 14:02 (1322 reads) |
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作者：游客 在 海归商务 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
Asian Units Distance Themselves From AIG
2008年09月17日
The Asian units of American International Group Inc. distanced themselves from their ailing parent Tuesday as the insurance giant's troubles contributed to turmoil in the region's financial markets.
The company, which traces its founding to Shanghai in 1919, is considered important to global markets because of its size, the wide range of insurance products it offers and its many other services and investments. Customers outside the U.S. accounted for 79% of its premiums for life insurance and retirement services last year. Its $26.6 billion in foreign premiums for life insurance and retirement services were more than three times as large as its $7.03 billion in U.S. premiums, with $14.21 billion of the foreign premiums coming from Asia.
Many of AIG's Asian units said Tuesday that they are independent and have enough capital to meet all policy claims. Regulators in India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand said local AIG units have capital to cover their obligations. Regulators in China said they are monitoring the situation.
In Taiwan, where AIG owns 95% of life insurer Nan Shan Life Insurance, a Nan Shan spokesman said it was 'business as usual.' Japan and Taiwan are among AIG's largest markets.
In Singapore, despite reassurances from regulators that policies are covered and warnings that cancellations could lead to losses, dozens of people lined up outside American International Assurance's offices, some waiting three hours to be attended to by staffers. Some said they wanted to ensure that their policies were safe, while others said they would cancel their policies.
India's insurance regulator asked two insurance joint ventures between AIG and Tata Group to submit reports on their operational status, the regulator's chairman said. J. Hari Narayan, who heads the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, added that 'the solvency ratios of both the companies look comfortable and there is no concern over capital.'
Analysts said, however, that the Indian companies' expansion might be constrained by AIG's woes. Sunil Mehta, country head for AIG, declined to comment.
In mainland China, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission said it was watching AIG closely and researching possible effects of the company's cash woes on China. AIG doesn't release much information about its business in China, and company officials there didn't respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for AIG in Hong Kong also declined to provide details.
Because of its historical roots in China and an effort that began in the 1970s to return to the country, New York-based AIG gained an early strong position in China. It has benefited from being the only foreign company selling life insurance without a joint-venture partner but still faces formidable competition from big local groups. In the first half of this year, its AIA life-insurance business in China registered total premiums of 3.9 billion yuan ($569.4 million), the largest among foreign life insurers in China but only a fraction of the combined premium of 425.7 billion yuan collected by the entire life-insurance industry in China.
American Cornelius Vander Starr, who set up AIG's predecessor company in Shanghai, closed it after China's Communist Party took power in 1949, and he moved the business to New York. Mr. Starr's successor, Maurice 'Hank' Greenberg, began visiting China in 1975 and was one of the first foreign business executives to offer support to China's leaders in the wake of the Communist Party's violent 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
In October 2005, shortly after Mr. Greenberg was forced out as chairman of AIG, Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng said in an interview that Mr. Greenberg had been 'an old friend' of China and that successor Martin Sullivan was 'a new friend.' Still, the mayor added that he had told Mr. Sullivan in a separate meeting that same week that 'when you drink water, you should never forget who dug the well...where you made your first fortune.'
Elsewhere in Asia, AIG moved to reassure policyholders. 'Although AIG faces short-term liquidity pressures, we have strong, well-positioned businesses in diverse markets around the world and a deep asset base,' AIG's wholly owned life-insurance arm, American International Assurance Co. (Bermuda), said in a statement issued in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Commissioner of Insurance Clement Cheung said he had consulted with U.S. insurance regulators as well as with AIG. Its Hong Kong subsidiary was 'financially sound, based on the accounting statement and the information given to us,' Mr. Cheung said, adding that regulators would continue to monitor the company.
AIG is one of the three biggest life-insurance companies in Hong Kong, with a 15% share of life-insurance premiums. Hong Kong life-insurance premiums last year totaled 176 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$22.6 billion), according to the Hong Kong Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.
BRUCE STANLEY / JACKIE CHEUNG / JAMES T. AREDDY / SHAI OSTER
2008年09月17日
美国国际集团(American International Group Inc.)深陷困境成为引发亚洲金融市场动荡的导火索之一，而AIG的亚洲子公司周二也纷纷同摇摇欲坠的母公司划清界限。
AIG于1919年成立于上海。由于其庞大的规模、所提供的保险产品品种，以及其他许多服务和投资，AIG对全球市场具有重要意义。去年，美国以外的客户占该公司人寿保险和退休服务保费收入的79%。该公司去年来自海外的人寿保险和退休服务保费收入为266亿美元，是在美国国内70.3亿美元保费收入的3倍多，在海外的保费中有142.1亿美元来自亚洲。
AIG的许多亚洲子公司周二表示，它们都独立运营，有足够的资金应对所有的保单索赔。印度、香港、新加坡和泰国的监管部门称，当地的AIG子公司有资金偿付债务。中国大陆监管部门称，它们正在关注事态发展。
在台湾，南山人寿保险公司(Nan Shan Life Insurance Co.)发言人说，公司业务一切正常。AIG持有该公司95%的股份。日本和台湾是AIG最大的两个市场。
在新加坡，尽管监管部门安抚说保单不会出现问题，并警告退保会带来损失，但还有几十人排在美国友邦保险公司(American International Assurance)的办公室外面，有人等了三个小时才得到员工的接待。一些人说，他们希望确信他们的保单是安全的，还有人称他们想要退保。
印度的保险监管和发展局(Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority)主席哈里•纳拉扬(J. Hari Narayan)称，该部门已要求AIG与塔塔集团(Tata Group)的两家合资保险公司提交有关运营状况的报告。他说，两家公司的偿债率看来是适当的，不必担心资金问题。
不过分析师称，这两家印度公司的扩张可能会因AIG危机而受到限制。AIG的印度负责人Sunil Mehta对此不予置评。
在中国大陆，中国保监会称，正在密切关注AIG，并研究该公司现金短缺可能对中国产生的影响。AIG很少披露在华业务的信息，当地的该公司管理人员也没有回复记者的置评要求。AIG驻香港的一位发言人也拒绝透露详细情况。
由于在中国的历史渊源和上世纪70年代开始的重返中国的努力，总部位于纽约的AIG在中国有领先优势。它从唯一一家没有合资伙伴的外资保险公司的身份中受益，但也同样面对中国国内保险集团的强大竞争压力。今年上半年，美国友邦保险公司在中国的人寿保险业务共获得人民币39亿元（约合5.694亿美元）的总保费，是在华外资人寿保险公司中最大的一家，但在中国人寿保险业人民币4,257亿元的总保费收入中也仅占很小的比例。
美国人斯塔尔 (Cornelius Vander Starr)在上海创立了AIG的前身，在中国共产党1949年夺取政权后，他关闭了在大陆的企业，并将其迁到了纽约。斯塔尔的继任者格林伯格 (Maurice "Hank" Greenberg) 1975年首次访华，也是在1989年天安门事件后首批支持中国领导人的外国商界领袖之一。
2005 年10月，就在格林伯格被迫辞去AIG董事长后不久，上海市市长韩正在接受采访时说，格林伯格是中国的“老朋友”，他的继任者马丁•苏利文(Martin Sullivan)是“新朋友”。不过，韩正说，他那周在同苏利文单独会面时曾告诉后者，应当饮水思源，记住收获第一桶金的地方。
AIG在亚洲各地都采取措施安抚保单持有人。AIG的全资人寿保险子公司美国友邦保险（百慕大）公司(American International Assurance Co. (Bermuda))在香港发表声明称，尽管AIG短期面临流动性压力，但我们在全球不同市场拥有定位良好的强劲业务和深厚的资产基础。
香港保险业监理专员张云正(Clement Cheung)说，他已咨询了美国的保险监管机构和AIG。他称，根据提供给我们的会计报表和信息，AIG香港子公司的财务状况良好。他还表示，监管机构将继续密切关注该公司。
AIG是香港三大人寿保险公司之一，在人寿保险保费收入中占15%的份额。据香港保险业监理处(Hong Kong Office of the Commissioner of Insurance)称，去年香港的人寿保险保费收入总额为1,760亿港元（约合226亿美元）。
BRUCE STANLEY / JACKIE CHEUNG / JAMES T. AREDDY / SHAI OSTER
作者：游客 在 海归商务 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
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