Chinese cash chases world's insurers now

Low funding cost encourages cash-flush companies to go on an M&A spree

Overseas insurers are increasingly noticeable on the shopping list of acquisition-minded Chinese companies whose recent buying sprees globally have driven the country's outbound mergers and acquisitions to a record high.

Since last year, Chinese companies have announced at least nine M&A deals for overseas insurers. The total deal value (both pending and completed) exceeded $8.4 billion, up 280 percent from China's total outbound insurance M&A value in 2014, according to financial data provider Dealogic.