(b) Interest rate risk
The Group has no significant interest-bearing assets. The Group maintains its borrowings in fixed rate instruments. The Group borrows at variable rates and uses interest rate swap as interest payments, which have the economic effect of converting borrowings from floating rates to fixed rates. The interest rate swaps allow the subsidiaries to raise long-term borrowings at floating rates and swap them into fixed rates that are lower than those available if the subsidiaries borrowed at fixed rates directly. Under the interest rate swaps, the Group agrees with the other parties to exchange, at specified intervals (mainly quarterly), the difference between fixed contract rates and floating rate interest amounts are calculated by reference to the agreed notional principal amounts.