According to a special report by ET Net on the 12th, citing sources familiar with the matter from Bloomberg, Tencent Holdings (00700) is stepping up investment in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Today, during a conference call with fixed-income investors, the company disclosed plans to issue bonds worth approximately $5 billion, with proceeds mainly allocated to capital expenditures related to AI, the majority of which is expected to be used for chip procurement.

　　Sources indicated that Tencent could finalize the pricing of this bond issuance as early as Tuesday (13th). The issuance plan is expected to include $1.5 billion to $2 billion in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds and 20 billion to 25 billion yuan (approximately $2.8 billion to $3.7 billion) in offshore renminbi bonds. During the call, management stated that proceeds from the bond issuance would primarily be used for general corporate purposes, such as capital investment in the AI field.

　　Management also explicitly mentioned that the company currently has no plans to issue shares or convertible bonds. Tencent did not respond to requests for comment. (ul)