Thailand has indicted members of the Phornprapha family in a high-profile Thailand stock manipulation case involving More Return Plc. Prosecutors said Akapat “Kim” Phornprapha, Athipat Phornprapha and Orapin Phornprapha were charged over alleged coordinated trading that distorted MORE’s share price and volume between July and November 2022. The court denied bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations, estimated investor losses of THB4.5bn (USD127m) and flight risk after t

Singapore has defended the performance of its sovereign wealth funds, saying Singapore sovereign wealth fund returns from GIC and Temasek are reasonable and within expectations despite criticism. Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow told parliament that comparisons with global peers should account for different mandates and risk profiles, with Singapore prioritising long-term results over short-term swings. He said GIC’s risk-moderation measures ahead of potentia

Taiwan has ended its longest-ever market-support operation after the Taiwan stabilization fund intervention concluded, citing improved trading conditions and restored investor confidence. The Taiwan stabilization fund intervention deployed a cumulative NTD12.25bn (USD387m) since April 9, 2025, generating a return rate of 52.56% and an unrealised profit of NTD6.44bn as of last month, its executive committee said. The 279-day programme was launched to stabilise markets amid glo

South Korea FX market reform is set to accelerate after authorities said the country will open its onshore foreign-exchange market to 24-hour trading from July, loosening long-standing restrictions as it seeks an upgrade to developed-market status from MSCI. Since the late-1990s Asian Financial Crisis, South Korea has maintained tight currency controls, with MSCI citing limited FX market access as a key obstacle to reclassification. Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il said of

China offshore income tax enforcement is being stepped up as authorities seek to shore up strained public finances by targeting undeclared overseas income, Bloomberg News reported. Tax officials in multiple cities have contacted individuals identified through “big data” analysis and asked them to self-declare offshore income for 2022–2024, calculating back taxes typically at a 20% rate on capital gains and dividends, plus late-payment charges. A new rule due in March would al

Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang is positioning itself as a new regional finance hub after granting membership certificates to 16 organisations and financial institutions for its planned international financial centre. City authorities also issued letters of interest to three commercial banks and an international holding group, and approved investment proposals worth VND37.8tr (USD1.5bn), local media reported. The announcements were made at an investment promotion event link

Vietnam firms face rising delisting risk as concentrated ownership squeezes out minority investors, raising governance concerns. State-controlled PV Gas said it no longer qualifies as a public company after parent PetroVietnam held 95.76% of voting shares, breaching free-float rules. Similar ownership structures exist at PetroVietNam Low Pressure Gas Distribution, Vinacomin and other large firms. Under Vietnam’s securities law, prolonged non-compliance can trigger revocation

Japan plans to establish by year-end a cross-ministerial body modelled on the US foreign investment watchdog CFIUS, strengthening Japan foreign investment screening to address national security risks linked to inbound capital, the government said. A bill to revise the foreign exchange law will be submitted when parliament’s ordinary session opens on Jan. 23, enabling the framework’s creation, officials said. The finance ministry will seek to double staff involved in Japan for

Hong Kong financial regulation reputation will be a key draw for global investors as the city navigates uncertainty and shifting asset allocations, Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui Ching-yu said. Hui said Hong Kong must upgrade infrastructure and develop new growth engines to keep investors relying on the city across market cycles. He said the government will trial a central clearing system for gold in 2026, seek cooperation with Shanghai to boost

China banks Venezuela exposure is under closer scrutiny after the country’s financial regulator asked policy banks and major lenders to disclose lending ties and strengthen monitoring of Venezuela-related credit, Bloomberg reported. The National Financial Regulatory Administration move follows the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and reflects concern that geopolitical risks could spill into China’s banking system. China has extended billions of dollars to Ven

Thailand 2026 economic outlook is clouded as growth is forecast at about 1.5%, prompting businesses to brace for headwinds ahead of a Feb 8 general election, executives and industry groups said. Banks, automakers and property developers cited weak demand, high household debt and policy uncertainty. The Thai Bankers’ Association said more frequent natural disasters are adding operational and credit risks, forcing lenders to factor climate events into risk management. Toyota Mo

China macro policy 2026 will become more proactive as Beijing seeks to support long-term growth following a late-2025 slowdown, President Xi Jinping said. Under the China macro policy 2026 push, authorities expect the economy to meet the 2025 growth target of around 5%, with output reaching about RMB140tr (USD20tr). Officials have leaned on fiscal support, including RMB62.5bn for consumer trade-in subsidies and early 2026 investment plans totalling RMB295bn, as part of effort

Japan China business ties showed further strain after around 200 Japanese executives postponed their annual Beijing visit, signalling cooling commercial relations amid geopolitical tensions over Taiwan. The Japan China business ties setback came after the Japan-China Economic Association struggled to secure meetings with Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. China’s foreign ministry reiterated criticism of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s rema

Taiwan stock market performance has outpaced Japan and South Korea over the past four years as an artificial intelligence hardware boom lifted the island’s tech-heavy economy, Taiwan’s central bank said. The Taiwan stock market performance saw the TAIEX index rise about 120% from a 2022 low to 27,867 by mid-December, beating gains in Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s KOSPI. Strong AI chip exports, ample global liquidity and Taiwan’s dominance in AI server assembly have sup

South Korea business law overhaul plans will scrap prison terms for most non-malicious corporate violations and significantly raise fines for serious misconduct, under reforms covering 331 economic statutes, the government said. The South Korea business law overhaul shifts enforcement away from a punishment-first model toward corrective orders and financial sanctions to speed up resolution. Under proposed changes, the Fair Trade Act’s cap on fixed fines for abuse of market do

Philippines tax audit reform is drawing support from business groups after the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry endorsed moves to tighten Bureau of Internal Revenue audit controls. The Philippines tax audit reform includes limiting which BIR offices can issue Letters of Authority and building a central digital platform to verify their authenticity, following a November suspension of field audits. FFCCCII president Victor Lim said the changes se

Hong Kong accounting firms hiring plans are set to continue into 2026 as major firms expand headcount while accelerating the use of artificial intelligence. KPMG China’s Andrew Wong said the firm has not cut recruitment and sees AI as complementary to staff, improving audit quality and enabling new roles. Deloitte China said it plans to hire about 1,000 people in Hong Kong and invest HKD500m (USD64m) over four years in fintech, capital-markets operations and AI capabilities.

Hong Kong offshore renminbi funding capacity has increased after the Hong Kong Monetary Authority doubled the quota of its yuan business facility to CNY100bn (USD14bn) and expanded participation to 40 banks. Phase two of the scheme, launched on Dec 1, allows banks to draw yuan funding within assigned quotas to lend to local and overseas corporates, with allocations based on existing business pipelines and overseas networks. HKMA chief executive Eddie Yue said authorities, wit

South Korea corporate reform is entering what the Korea Enterprises Federation chairman Sohn Kyung-shik described as a “golden time” for economic transformation, as he urged policymakers to push structural changes to revive innovation and risk-taking. In a New Year address, Sohn called for easing rigid labour regulations, arguing that inflexible rules undermine productivity and slow adaptation to industrial change. He said labour-market reform could also help address debates

Hong Kong economic outlook 2025 has strengthened after Financial Secretary Paul Chan raised the city’s growth forecast to 3.2%, saying momentum should carry into 2026 even as risks from global uncertainty persist. Writing in a blog post, Chan cited resilient exports, solid fixed-asset investment and a recovery in consumption, adding that expected US rate cuts would also support activity. He said Hong Kong’s stock and property markets have improved, with the Hang Seng Index up