Bahamas family office incentives are being developed to attract wealthy Asian families through tailored investment agreements covering immigration, taxation, business licensing and exchange controls. Economic Affairs Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said qualifying international family offices would be treated as strategic foreign direct investments, allowing them to negotiate bespoke arrangements similar to those offered for major development projects. The government also plans to

APEC financial policy coordination will be strengthened as finance ministers seek to address external economic risks, improve financial resilience and support sustainable growth across the Asia-Pacific region. China's Finance Minister Lan Fo'an said participating economies had agreed to deepen macroeconomic cooperation and strengthen financial systems to safeguard regional stability. Ministers discussed the potential for artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to im

China actively managed ETFs are set to expand following regulatory approval of 18 new exchange-traded funds, potentially directing tens of billions of yuan into domestic equities. The China Securities Regulatory Commission approved the products as authorities seek to strengthen investor confidence and support stock market stability. Each fund could raise approximately RMB2bn (USD300m), according to domestic media reports, with sales expected to begin on Friday. CSRC Chairman

The Southeast Asia digital economy is projected to expand 17% to USD368bn in gross merchandise value during 2026, supported by e-commerce growth and increasing artificial intelligence adoption. According to the e-Conomy SEA 2026 report by Bain, Google and Temasek, regional digital economic activity could reach USD1.1tr by 2035. E-commerce is expected to account for USD226bn in gross merchandise value this year, potentially increasing to USD820bn by 2035. Artificial intelligen

Singapore family office risks are increasingly centred on interest rates and bond yields, according to a Deutsche Bank poll of wealthy individuals and family offices. The survey, conducted during the Emerging Markets Family Office Forum 2026, found that 37% of respondents considered interest rates and bond yields the greatest threats to economic growth. Inflation ranked second at 23%, followed by artificial intelligence at 17%. Concern about AI has increased substantially fro

Hong Kong late payments remain widespread despite improving economic conditions, with 93% of businesses reporting delayed payments during the past year, according to credit insurer Coface. Its APAC Payment Survey 2026 found that half of Hong Kong respondents expect payment conditions to deteriorate over the next 12 months. Companies reported an average period of 144 days between delivering goods and collecting payment, while overdue periods in the energy, transportation and m

Asian single-family offices are emerging as a preferred structure for managing wealth following business sales, although succession planning remains a major challenge for wealthy families, according to Julius Baer. The bank’s Family Barometer survey, covering more than 700 wealth advisers worldwide, found that only 3.5% of professionals advising Asian families considered their clients fully prepared to sell or transfer their businesses. Differences in business valuation expec

Southeast Asia startup debt funding nearly doubled to USD6.1bn in 2025 as companies increasingly sought alternatives to equity financing amid challenging fundraising and exit conditions. According to data platform Tracxn, debt funding increased from USD487.8m in 2023 to USD3.1bn in 2024 before rising further in 2025. Equity funding moved in the opposite direction, declining from USD8.4bn in 2023 to USD7.9bn in 2024 and USD6.2bn in 2025. Tracxn co-founder and chief executive N

Greater Bay Area financial integration is set to deepen under new Chinese government guidelines designed to expand financial support for technological innovation and strengthen cross-border cooperation. China’s central bank and other government agencies have outlined measures covering Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. The plan calls for closer policy coordination, information sharing and mutual recognition of regulatory standards, alongside

The proposed AIIB Hong Kong office could strengthen the city’s role in regional infrastructure financing and connect international investors with development opportunities across Asia. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government would support the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s plans to establish an office handling financing and operational functions. Lee made the remarks during a meeting with AIIB President Zou Jiayi ahead of the 2026 Asia-Pacific E

Antares Ventures family office backing has helped the Singapore-based investment firm raise more than USD50m at the second close of its first institutional deeptech fund. Antares Ventures I is targeting USD100m, with investors including family offices and strategic investors from Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea. The fund has invested approximately USD27m across nine companies developing technologies in energy storage, electricity grids, industrial systems, water treatme

Asia-Pacific commercial real estate offers opportunities for investors seeking stronger income growth and portfolio diversification, according to Principal Asset Management. The US-based investment manager plans to increase its activity in regional commercial property markets, where investors remain relatively underweight in office assets. Richard Hill, senior managing director and head of global real estate research and strategy, said higher interest rates were encouraging i

Asian family office succession planning needs to provide younger generations with greater independence while preserving the values and principles underpinning family wealth, according to speakers at the BDO Global Private Client Symposium in Singapore. The discussions come as Asia prepares for an estimated USD12tr intergenerational wealth transfer over the next 15 years. Russell Wee, a second-generation member of the Jean Yip Group family, said family offices should maintain

Hong Kong growth company listings are increasing as regulatory reforms and improvements to market infrastructure attract younger businesses, particularly in biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Securities and Futures Commission Chief Executive Julia Leung Fung-yee said growth companies now account for 30% of Hong Kong-listed firms, compared with 10% in 2023. Speaking at a seminar hosted by Japan’s Financial Services Agency in Tokyo, Leung said listing reforms had encour

Hong Kong philanthropy hub credentials have been strengthened after the city ranked third globally for its potential to attract charitable giving from wealthy individuals, according to research by wealth intelligence firm Altrata. Hong Kong placed behind New York and Seoul in Altrata’s inaugural Giving Opportunity Index, which assessed 100 cities worldwide. The index evaluates cities based on concentrations of wealth, donor affinity and the strength of philanthropic infrastru

Vietnam bank liquidity rules will provide qualifying lenders with greater lending capacity under regulatory changes scheduled to take effect on December 1, 2026. Circular 50, issued by the State Bank of Vietnam, will increase the maximum loan-to-deposit ratio to 95% from 85% for banks that adopt revised liquidity requirements early. The new framework incorporates liquidity coverage and net stable funding ratios, with banks adopting these standards permitted to use the revised

Asian family office hedge funds allocations are attracting growing interest as wealthy families and institutional investors seek protection against volatility in equity and debt markets. Global hedge fund assets increased by a record USD409bn during the second quarter of 2026 to USD5.6tr, according to Hedge Fund Research figures cited by Reuters. Swiss private bank UBP said hedge-fund-only mandates among its Asia-based discretionary portfolio clients had more than tripled sin

The Samsung Securities family office business has surpassed 200 client families and KRW55tr (USD40bn) in client assets as demand grows among South Korean entrepreneurs and business owners seeking professional wealth management. The brokerage said the number of clients who have sold their businesses has nearly tripled over the past three years. Its family office services target individuals with at least KRW100bn in financial assets, offering investment management, tax advice a

Hong Kong IPO suspensions and enforcement actions are increasing as the Securities and Futures Commission strengthens scrutiny of listing sponsors and suspected corporate misconduct. The regulator said it had frozen HKD4.6bn (USD590m) in assets linked to three suspected IPO fraud schemes and taken action against two alleged syndicates. The cases involved listed companies allegedly diverting IPO proceeds through purported financial product investments. The SFC restricted HKD4.

A new Hong Kong Chongqing blockchain platform has been launched to support cross-border financial services by validating information without transferring or storing original documents. The Chongqing-Hong Kong Cross-boundary Data Validation Platform aims to reduce compliance and privacy risks associated with sharing financial information between the two markets, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The platform is operated by Chongqing Credit and WeBank Technology Se