Hong Kong’s economy remains resilient, supported by technology-related exports, improving private demand and stronger financial market activity, the International Monetary Fund said following its latest Article IV mission. The IMF Hong Kong assessment reaffirmed the city’s position as an international financial centre, a “super-connector”, a major fundraising hub and the world’s leading offshore renminbi centre. The IMF said financial sector risks remain manageable because of

Thailand plans to overhaul more than 7,000 business regulations as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s government seeks to reduce bureaucracy and attract more foreign and domestic investment. The Thailand business reform programme aims to improve the country’s competitiveness as regional rivals including Vietnam and Indonesia intensify efforts to attract global capital and supply-chain relocations. Authorities are proposing a “super licence” system designed to consolidate mu

Japan has presented a draft plan to create specialised industry clusters across 10 regions, focusing on semiconductors, clean energy and other strategic sectors as part of efforts to revive regional economies and attract corporate investment. The Japan industry clusters strategy is expected to become part of a broader regional future growth plan as early as June. Hokkaido, Kyushu, Hokuriku and Chubu are being considered as semiconductor manufacturing and technology hubs, whil

More than 80% of surveyed enterprises plan to adopt artificial intelligence either immediately or within the next 12 months as companies accelerate the shift from pilot projects towards large-scale deployment, according to Cherrypicks. The Hong Kong AI adoption trend reflects rising demand for automation, process intelligence and human-machine collaboration across corporate operations. The Hong Kong-based technology company, a unit of NetDragon Websoft, said firms are increas

Bhutan and Singapore have signed a double tax avoidance agreement aimed at strengthening investment, trade and economic cooperation while supporting Bhutan’s ambitions to develop Gelephu Mindfulness City into a regional business and family office hub. The Bhutan Singapore tax pact was signed in Singapore by Bhutan Finance Minister Lekey Dorji and Singapore official Jeffrey Siow. The agreement is Bhutan’s third bilateral tax treaty and is expected to clarify taxing rights on c

Hong Kong ranked among the world’s least complex jurisdictions for doing business, according to TMF Group’s latest Global Business Complexity Index, reinforcing the city’s appeal for multinational companies, investors and family offices seeking efficient regional operating hubs. The Hong Kong business environment ranked 78th out of 81 jurisdictions assessed in the report, placing it among the bottom 10 for business complexity alongside New Zealand, Denmark, Jersey and the Cay

Singapore will reappoint Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong as chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore for another three-year term from June 1, reinforcing continuity at the city-state’s central bank and financial regulator. The MAS chairman reappointment announcement also confirmed that managing director Chia Der Jiun will continue as a board member for a further two years. Attorney-General Lucien Wong will also serve another three-year term, while Chaly Mah, chairma

Taiwan’s financial firms posted record first-quarter pretax profits as a rally in local equities lifted investment returns, wealth management income and brokerage activity, the Financial Supervisory Commission said. The Taiwan financial firms result showed combined pretax profit across banking, insurance and securities rising 37.09% from a year earlier to NTD370.997bn (USD11.81bn), beating the previous first-quarter record set in 2021. Banking pretax profit climbed 28.5% to N

Singapore’s national accountancy body has formed a task force with finance and business leaders to strengthen Singapore financial reporting standards and improve how listed companies communicate long-term value to investors. The Strengthening Financial Reporting Taskforce, launched by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants in partnership with the Singapore Exchange, will examine ways to improve disclosures on financial performance, governance, risks and strategy. Ta

Investors are turning to Asian equities for the next leg of the global stock rally, with Taiwan and South Korea emerging as key targets because of their exposure to artificial intelligence hardware, Bloomberg reported. The Asian equities rally has lifted shares in both markets, helped by gains in Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Derivatives strategists are recommending bullish trades on Taiwan’s TAIEX, South Korea’s KOSPI 200 and Japan’

Bank Negara Malaysia and Bank Indonesia have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation across central banking functions. The BNM BI cooperation agreement covers monetary policy, financial stability, macroprudential policy, payment systems, digitalisation, financial sector development, capacity building and information sharing. BNM Governor Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said the MoU reaffirms the long-standing partnership between the two central banks and expands coo

Invest Hong Kong will increase engagement with Africa as Associate Director-General Loretta Lee begins an eight-day visit to Johannesburg and Kigali to promote the city as a gateway for African companies expanding into mainland China and Asia-Pacific markets. The InvestHK Africa ties push includes meetings with chambers, banks, financial institutions, fintech firms and professional services groups in Johannesburg from May 10 to 13, before Lee attends the Africa CEO Forum in R

Singapore has retained the Financial Action Task Force’s highest monitoring rating despite the SGD3bn (USD2.2bn) money laundering scandal uncovered in 2023. The Singapore FATF rating review covered the period from 2020 to July 2025 and placed the city-state on regular follow-up, the watchdog’s most favourable category. FATF said Singapore achieved seven substantially effective ratings across 11 measures and was compliant or largely compliant on 38 of 40 technical recommendati

Hong Kong SME credit conditions remained broadly stable during the first quarter of 2026, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Around 73% of SMEs said banks’ credit approval stance was similar or easier than six months earlier, compared with 70% in the previous quarter. Only 27% perceived approvals as more difficult, down from 30%. Among SMEs with existing credit lines, none reported a tighter bank stance. Of firms applying for new credit, 91% reported fully or part

Thailand virtual banks are being given greater flexibility as the central bank allows successful applicants more time to meet pre-licensing requirements. Governor Vitai Ratanakorn said the three approved groups may delay operations by two to three months beyond the initial June target as they work to comply with regulatory conditions. The applicants include consortiums led by Charoen Pokphand, Krungthai Bank and SCB X. Regulators require firms to consolidate financial busines

Hong Kong SME financing support is expanding as the banking sector raises dedicated lending funds to more than HKD450bn (USD57.7bn) from HKD370bn in October 2024, amid oil price volatility and a weaker external environment. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said 18 banks in its SME taskforce will provide credit relief measures including flexible repayment terms, loan tenor extensions and trade facility extensions, with particular focus on transport, logistics and manufacturing

South Korea financial stability remains intact as the country’s financial institutions have sufficient capacity to withstand crisis scenarios despite volatility in financial and foreign exchange markets, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said. Koo made the remarks after a macroeconomic policy meeting with Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song and the heads of financial regulators. He said volatility in government bond yields and the won-dollar exchange rate has persisted as the

Taiwan family wealth reached a record NTD183.7tr (USD5.82tr) at the end of 2024, rising 7.35% from a year earlier as gains in equities and property lifted household balance sheets, government data showed. Securities holdings surged 21.76% to NTD37.28tr, supported by a 28% jump in the TAIEX and strong demand for AI-related technology stocks. Housing assets reached NTD55.03tr, representing about 30% of household net worth, while financial assets accounted for around 67%, reflec

China financial regulator Li Yunze has been demoted over a suspected disciplinary violation, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter, in the latest sign of Beijing’s widening crackdown on the financial sector. Li, 55, headed the National Financial Regulatory Administration, which oversees banks, insurers and trust firms across China’s USD79tr financial industry. Reuters said his name and photo were removed from the regulator’s leadership page. Li was appointe

Vietnam forex rules are set for overhaul as the central bank proposes easing procedures for foreign investors while strengthening oversight of capital flows. The draft circular would allow eligible investors to open investment capital accounts before receiving registration approval, although usage would initially be limited. Investors may also open multiple foreign-currency accounts for different currencies. The revised Vietnam forex rules aim to align with recent legal chang