Embattled Chinese property developer Kaisa Group, which sold some of its Shanghai assets at the weekend, said on Monday its chief executive officer has resigned, Reuters reported. The company said in a stock exchange notice that Jin Zhigang had quit "to devote more time to his personal career development" and would continue as executive director. It added that there had been no disagreement with the board.

Bonds of troubled China property developer Kaisa Group jumped by as much as four points after rival Sunac China Holdings, which has been named in media reports as a potential buyer of its assets, announced a trading suspension, Reuters reported. Kaisa is struggling after a string of senior executives left unexpectedly, authorities blocked sales at some of its projects in Shenzhen late last year and it missed a coupon payment on one of its bonds. Since these troubles began last month, Kaisa's bonds have lost as much as two-thirds of their value.

Japan's leading independent budget airline Skymark Airlines Inc filed for protection from creditors late on Wednesday, blaming a weak yen and a dispute with Airbus Group for its financial straits, Reuters reported. The low-cost carrier had liabilities of 71.09 billion yen ($603.6 million) as of its bankruptcy filing with the Tokyo District Court, it said in a statement via the Tokyo Stock Exchange after an emergency board meeting. Chief Executive Officer Shinichi Nishikubo resigned and was replaced by board member Masakazu Arimori, said the company, which will delist on March 1.

Chinese property developer Kaisa Group has appointed financial adviser Houlihan Lokey to formulate a plan that will be agreeable to all its creditors as the indebted company struggles with the risk of defaulting on its credit. The company failed earlier this month to make a $26 million interest payment on its bonds due to mature in 2020, and now has until Feb. 9 to pay that coupon or else become the first Chinese real estate firm to default on its offshore debt. Kaisa is grappling with a series of departures after some senior executives left unexpectedly.

Troubled Chinese property developer Kaisa Group failed to remove a local government block on sales at its Shenzhen projects during talks with public officials on Monday, a company source familiar with the discussions said. Kaisa's top executives held a high-level meeting with senior Shenzhen government officials on Monday afternoon in the Longgang district in northern Shenzhen, where two of Kaisa's new projects are blocked, according to the source. "There was no progress at all in the meeting," the Kaisa executive said.

Thailand's military-led government has approved a restructuring plan for Thai Airways International PCL in a bid to restore profitability to the national carrier's operations, a senior government official said on Monday, Reuters reported. State-controlled Thai Airways is one of the major state companies to undergo reform after the military seized power from an elected government in a May coup. The restructuring includes measures to cut operating costs, boost revenue and sell some non-core assets, said Kulit Sombatsiri, director general of the State Enterprise Policy Office.

Former Smart50 finalist Paid International has entered voluntary administration, just months after the online finance provider agreed to refund $1.128 million to customers who were charged excessive loan fees, SmartCompany.au reported. Ian Francis and John Park of FTI Consulting were appointed administrators of Paid International on January 22. The first meeting of creditors is scheduled to take place in Perth on February 4.

Governor Haruhiko Kuroda says the Bank of Japan may need to get creative in any further monetary stimulus. Among options analysts highlight: regional-government bonds, a type of security that could aid public support. Kuroda, speaking in an interview with Bloomberg Television Friday in Davos, Switzerland, said “there are many options and I don’t think it’s constructive to say this or that could be done.” He reiterated that if inflation expectations are “seriously” affected by disinflation, policy can be changed.

Offshore bond sales by mainland property developers have stalled in January as rising investor fears of a flurry of debt defaults have junked one of the usually busiest months of the year for real estate issuance, South China Morning Post reported. With an estimated US$10 billion in offshore debt falling due for repayment this year and next, a bad January bodes ill for the ability of developers to refinance huge foreign borrowings.

Troubled Chinese property firm Kaisa Group is talking to banks and rival developers about selling its assets as the company scrambles to raise cash, according to people with knowledge of the matter. A number of developers have approached the company about possibly buying some of its holdings, said one person. "Banks, developers, Shenzhen government want this to happen," said another. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that developers speaking to Kaisa include China Vanke and Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town. Shenzhen Overseas and China Vanke could not be reached for comment.