Global law firm Clyde & Co has advised China Reinsurance Group (China Re), China's only state-owned reinsurance group company, on the establishment of its first overseas branch in Singapore.

The establishment of the Singapore branch will allow China Re to expand its operations in the region and act as a bridge for the insurance market between China and the broader Asia Pacific region. China Re is the largest domestic reinsurer in China, the largest reinsurer in Asia and approximately the eighth largest globally.

The Clyde & Co team, led by partner Ian Stewart, assisted China Re with applying for and gaining the licence to operate in Singapore, which was officially granted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on 3 June 2016. The firm also assisted in advising on a wide variety of insurance regulatory compliance issues relating to the establishment of operations in Singapore.

Other team members involved included Partner Carrie Yang (Shanghai) and Associate Wei Qi Jen (Singapore).