Hong Kong and Singapore family offices are increasingly acting as dual bases for Asia expansion, focusing on real estate and private direct investments for long-term growth, according to Julius Baer’s 2025 Family Barometer. Surveying 2,500 family-office experts across four regions, the bank found Hong Kong now hosts about 2,700 single-family offices and Singapore over 2,000, helped by tax incentives and migration programmes. Hong Kong’s eight new measures, including the Capit

Hong Kong multifamily offices are the focus of the city’s second-phase family-office strategy running 2026–2028, targeting 220 additional single and multifamily offices from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, according to InvestHK. The plan builds on the ecosystem developed through eight measures — including tax concessions and an investment-migration route — and extends a 2023–2025 goal that brought in 200 offices. Branded Family Office 2.0, the initiative aims to broaden bey

APEC finance ministers 2025 began a three-day meeting in Incheon to shape policy priorities on innovation, finance and structural reform ahead of the leaders’ summit in Gyeongju on 31 October – 1 November. Under the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow,” officials will finalise the “Incheon Plan,” a five-year roadmap succeeding the Cebu Action Plan, focusing on AI governance and the digital economy. The meeting — the final ministerial before the summit — is held jointly wit

Taiwan Stock Exchange reform will ease listing and investment rules to lure foreign startups as part of its “Asian Nasdaq” initiative. Initial outreach targets Southeast Asia and Silicon Valley. Taiwan’s main and OTC markets were valued at NTD90tr (USD2.77tr) at end-September, ranking eighth globally, with semiconductors making up 48% of market capitalisation. Foreign issuers with a major shareholder owning over 30% and no China, Hong Kong or Macau capital will be exempt from

Invest Hong Kong unveiled the joint 10th-anniversary Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival 2025 from 3–7 November, for the city’s largest fintech gathering to date. Invest Hong Kong said the event will attract more than 37,000 attendees, 800 speakers and 700 exhibitors from over 100 economies. Organised with the HKMA, SFC and Insurance Authority under the theme “Curating the New Fintech Era,” the main conference will run 3–4 November at the Convention and Exhibition C

Asia’s ultrawealthy AI investment strategies are shifting toward Chinese equities to capture gains from an AI-led market rally and easing interest rates, private bankers say. Confidence has improved since Q2 2025 on resilient activity, AI-driven earnings and renewed rate cuts despite US-China trade frictions. Wealth-X estimated that regional fortunes of individuals worth USD30m or more rose 10% in the first half, lifting risk appetite. Capital flows are gravitating toward Hon

Hong Kong SME expansion momentum is building, with about 20% of small and medium-sized enterprises planning to expand overseas within 12 months, according to the latest Standard Chartered Hong Kong SME Leading Business Index. Nearly half of respondents aim to grow in Asia, with around 60% eyeing mainland China as the top destination. SMEs highlighted sales channels, platform operations and overseas regulations as key areas needing support. Authorities said a dedicated funding

China Q3 GDP 2025 expanded 4.8% year on year, down from 5.2% in the previous quarter, as a prolonged property slump and subdued consumption offset stronger industrial output. January–September growth stood at 5.2%, close to Beijing’s about-5% target. Fixed-asset investment fell 0.5% in Q3 and consumer prices remained muted. Exports to the US declined 27% in September even as overall shipments rose 8.3%, reflecting trade tensions and supply-chain realignments. Residential prop

Singapore family office incentives are under scrutiny as authorities review a 2018 vehicle linked to Prince Holding Group chairman Chen Zhi, following his indictment in the US for allegedly directing a cyber-fraud network. Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau said it will coordinate with US agencies on potential asset seizures, while Singapore police are reviewing the case with overseas counterparts. US officials have seized around USD15bn in bitcoin, while the UK froz

Hong Kong fraud framework plans are advancing as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority urged banks to standardise procedures for handling customer fraud claims. Local media reported that the HKMA asked the Hong Kong Association of Banks to respond by 1 December, with adoption expected within three months of the final draft. The proposal covers authorised payments and transfers made through Hong Kong accounts, which are currently assessed case by case. The HKMA said liability in su

South Korea regulatory reform will be accelerated as President Lee Jae-myung pledges to ease excessive rules and revitalise business activity to support economic recovery. Speaking at a government meeting focused on the bio, renewable energy, and cultural sectors, Lee said rationalising regulations is vital to boost growth and address inequality. He warned that bureaucratic rigidity hampers effective policy execution and urged officials to adopt a more flexible stance toward

Paul Chan Hong Kong US visit underscored the city’s open-market advantages as the Financial Secretary called on American companies to expand their presence despite persistent US-China trade tensions. Speaking at the annual gala of the National Committee on US-China Relations in New York, Chan met former US trade envoy Charlene Barshefsky to discuss deepening economic and financial ties. He reaffirmed Hong Kong’s commitment to its free-port status, rule-of-law framework, and r

Hong Kong pension ranking rose to 15th globally in the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025 but remained behind Singapore, which became the first Asian nation to achieve an “A” grade, ranking fourth worldwide. The index evaluated 52 systems for adequacy, sustainability, and integrity. Hong Kong scored well in integrity and adequacy but only “C+” in sustainability, while Singapore’s strong performance reflected long-term reforms and improved transparency. Mercer advi

Indonesia mutual fund foreign limits are set to rise as regulators prepare to relax restrictions for the country’s USD50bn fund industry, enabling greater global diversification. The Financial Services Authority (OJK) has approved an industry proposal to raise offshore investment caps and is drafting new rules expected next year. Current regulations limit foreign holdings to 15% of net asset value, curbing flexibility and scale. The Indonesian Investment Managers Association

China’s Greater Bay Area business activity reached a four-year high in Q3 2025, supported by a temporary US-China tariff truce and stronger financial market momentum, according to the GBA Business Confidence Index by Standard Chartered Bank and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The headline index climbed to 54.7 from 53.1 in Q2, while the expectations index hit 55.7 — its highest in two years — signalling robust optimism. New orders and prices of finished goods rose sh

JPMorgan Asset Management Asia plans to double its assets under management in the region to USD600bn within five years, building on strong growth in active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and new market entries. The firm managed USD302bn in Asia at end-2024 — more than double its 2019 level — according to Asia-Pacific CEO Dan Watkins. Key drivers include the launch of its first active ETF in Taiwan in September and a SGD1.1bn (USD0.8bn) mandate from the Monetary Authority of Sin

Singapore Q3 GDP 2025 rose 2.9% year on year, outpacing economists’ forecasts of 2%, according to advance estimates from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. On a seasonally adjusted basis, GDP increased 1.3% quarter-on-quarter. Growth slowed as goods-producing industries expanded just 0.6% versus 4.8% in Q2, with manufacturing flat year on year but rebounding 6.1% from the previous quarter. Construction growth moderated to 3.1%, while services remained the main driver, rising

China’s commerce ministry US trade dialogue remains strained as Beijing urges Washington to “correct its wrongdoings” and show sincerity in ongoing economic talks. The statement followed US claims that China had postponed a planned call on rare earth export controls. A ministry spokesperson said Beijing had notified the US in advance of the new measures through their bilateral export control dialogue and held working-level talks as recently as Monday. The spokesperson added t

Hong Kong Islamic finance initiatives are gathering pace as the city positions itself as North Asia’s hub for Shariah-compliant financial products. Companies are exploring sukuk bond issuance to attract Middle Eastern capital into the Greater Bay Area, officials and bankers said. Standard Chartered’s David Yim noted growing interest in sukuk listings following government roadshows in the region. Financial Secretary Paul Chan highlighted that Hong Kong’s legal framework alread

Malaysia family office tax incentives could deliver up to MYR10.7bn (USD2.5bn) in economic benefits, according to Juwai IQI Global Wealth Office head Haroon Anwar. The new package aims to attract single-family offices (SFOs) with assets of at least MYR30m, a threshold below Hong Kong’s and far under Dubai’s MYR211m. It requires MYR500,000 in annual domestic spending and offers up to 20 years of 0% income tax plus exemptions on stamp duty and capital gains. Anwar said long-ter