The renminbi fund is designed to focus on large, high-growth companies, Carlyle says.

Several other deals are said to be in the works, including the possible sale of Atlanta-based Silverton Bank, seized by regulators in May, to a group that includes Carlyle.

In recent weeks Blackstone, Fortress, Carlyle, Wilbur Ross and others have bought stakes in Banks, among them Florida's First Southern and BankUnited, the state's largest home-grown lender.