HNA Group said on Thursday it has bought a German airport in a further sign that a regulatory clampdown on outbound acquisitions has yet to curb the group’s ability to close deals.
Valued at €15.1m ($17.7m), the purchase of 82.5 per cent of the Frankfurt-Hahn Airport from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate represents just a fraction of the more than $40bn in deals HNA has inked in almost three years.
But it was significant in that it happened at all. HNA, along with Anbang Insurance, Dalian Wanda and Fosun, have been at the centre of a crackdown on overseas M&A since June, when banks were told to assess their exposure to the Chinese groups.