FACTBOX: Japan financial influence grows in crisis

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has been spreading its influence during the financial crisis, especially in Asia, through the state-backed Japan Bank for International Cooperation

(JBIC).

JBIC has been in overdrive since the credit storm, lending to Japanese firms abroad, in particular to help secure access to natural resources. It also plans to back yen-denominated bond issues from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Below is a chronology of some deals involving JBIC during the last financial year, as well as a breakdown of JBIC's commitments over the last five years.

2009

June 19 - JBIC signs a deal with the Philippines to guarantee $1 billion in Samurai bonds for the next two years. JBIC gives its backing for up to 95 percent of the new debt.

June 1 - JBIC provides $1 billion in financing for completion of Shuweihat 2, a 1,500 megawatt natural gas-fired power station and a desalination plant in Abu Dhabi. French utility GDF Suez (GSZ.PA) sold 20 percent of its stake in an Abu Dhabi water and power project to Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp (8002.T).

May 26 - JBIC says it will provide around $3 billion in five-year loans to small Japanese firms operating overseas to help them raise cash in the U.S. dollars. The measure is set to be in place until the end of March 2010.

April 6 - Venezuela signs a memorandum of understanding with JBIC and Japanese trading houses Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T) and Itochu Corp (8001.T) for loans totaling $1.5 billion to finance the upgrade of two refineries. This follows a credit line of $3.5 billion opened in 2007.

March 26 - JBIC agrees to provide a 4 billion rand ($424.2 million) loan to South African logistics group Transnet TRAN.UL to fund the expansion of an entrance channel.

March 3 - The Japanese government loans $5 billion from its foreign reserves to JBIC, which has been charged with helping ease the pressure on Japanese companies from the credit crisis.

Feb 21 - Japan agrees to help Indonesia issue up to $1.5 billion of Samurai bonds. JBIC will guarantee the bond issue, which will likely have a maturity of 5-10 years. It would be Jakarta's first issue of yen-denominated foreign bonds.

Jan 5 - Sumitomo Corp (8053.T), Japan's third-biggest trading house, says a consortium led by JBIC will lend it 160 billion yen ($1.7 billion) in syndicated loans for an Indonesian power project. JBIC will provide 60 percent of the debt financing Sumitomo needs to double the capacity of a coal-fired thermal power plant in Indonesia.

2008

Dec 26 - Tokyo asks JBIC to provide loans to Japanese firms and branches operating in the developed world.

Nov 14 - Japan, through the JBIC, says it will invest $2 billion in a World Bank fund to recapitalize banks in emerging markets.

June 23 - JBIC agrees to co-finance $1.5 billion to Australia's Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL.AX) to support the firm's Pluto liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, a source at the bank says. JBIC is set to finance $1 billion to Woodside, with the remainder to be provided by commercial banks including Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (8306.T).

June 16 - JBIC and a consortium of international commercial banks agree to provide $5.3 billion in financing to Russia's Sakhalin-2 oil and gas group. JBIC agrees to provide $3.7 billion while the consortium will contribute an additional $1.6 billion.

May 13 - Japan begins allowing JBIC to exchange its yen funds for dollars from the nation's foreign reserves for some of its dollar-denominated loans. The move reduces the size of Japan's reserves, the world's second-largest at around $1 trillion, albeit marginally.

International Financial Operations:

FY2003 FY2007

Number Total Share Number Total Share

Asia 100 421.0 32 68 699.0 41

Oceania 25 81.7 6 6 1.1 0

Europe 20 133.9 10 5 28.1 2

The Middle East 15 253.3 19 5 585.2 35

Africa 8 37.4 3 13 127.0 8

North America 14 104.1 8 12 114.7 7

LatAm/Caribbean 35 276.2 21 25 136.9 8

Others 1 16.4 1 - - -

Sub Total 218 1,324.0 100 134 1,692.1 100

Overseas Economic Cooperation Operations:

FY2003 FY2007

Number Total Share Number Total Share

Asia 55 528.4 90 40 625.9 69

Oceania - - - 1 4.6 1

Europe 1 9.7 2 - - -

The Middle East - - - 8 182.7 20

Africa 5 46.0 8 8 68.7 8

North America - - - - - -

LatAm/Caribbean 1 3.6 1 1 19.4 2

Sub Total 62 587.7 100 58 901.2 100

Sources: JBIC Website, Reuters News

(Compiled by Kevin Plumberg; Edited by Edwina Gibbs)