Hong Kong safe haven capital flows are strengthening as global investors reassess geopolitical risks, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said. Bank deposits have risen more than 10% this year to above HKD19tr (USD2.43tr) after a 7% increase in 2024. Several major listings drew cornerstone investors from the West and the Middle East, while global financial groups plan to expand operations locally. Chan said Hong Kong is transitioning from a one-way China gateway to a two-way platfo

Hong Kong family offices are expanding rapidly as the city hits its end‑2025 target ahead of schedule, driven by Hong Kong family office tax incentives and an upgraded investor‑migration scheme. InvestHK said more than 200 family offices had set up or expanded in the city by September, helped by profits‑tax exemptions, a six‑month holding rule under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, and simplified operational requirements. Authorities estimate Hong Kong hosts over 2,700

Thailand central bank SME credit support will expand as new Bank of Thailand governor Vitai Ratanakorn outlines a more hands‑on remit to address low productivity, weak competitiveness and high household debt. Loan growth has contracted for 15 months, while SME credit fell 4% year‑on‑year in Q3, prompting a credit‑guarantee scheme aimed at lifting SME lending by about 100bn baht (USD2.78bn) from early 2026. The bank is also working with the finance ministry, bankers and asset

Philippine GDP downgrade momentum intensified as S&P Global Ratings and the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office cut growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026 following a Q3 slowdown to a four‑year low tied to a flood‑control corruption scandal. S&P now expects 4.8% growth this year, down from 5.6%, while AMRO lowered its 2025 projection to 5.2%, both below the government’s 5.5–6.5% target. For 2026, S&P cut its view to 5.7% and AMRO to 5.3%, citing weaker public investment, softer

AI disruption Singapore trends are intensifying, with nine in ten organisations reporting AI-driven role changes or displacement, according to an IDC survey commissioned by Deel. Globally, 99% of firms have adopted AI, and nearly 70% have moved beyond pilots. In Singapore, 66% expect to slow entry-level hiring over the next three years, while 48% recorded the region’s highest displacement rate. The study found 75% of companies say shrinking entry-level pathways make grooming

Singapore crypto adoption is rising among retail investors, although exposure remains conservative, a joint SingSaver–Coinbase Pulse of Crypto Survey shows. The August poll of 3,513 respondents found 61% hold crypto, yet 74% of these allocate less than 10% of assets to it, and only 8% hold more than 25%. Median portfolios total SGD3,000–5,000 (USD2,210–3,683), with the average investor owning three tokens, mostly coins. Some 58% identify as HODL-style investors, while 20% tra

The DBS Alliance Bank stake proposal has been scaled back, with the Singapore lender reducing its request for approval to acquire up to 30% of Alliance Bank Malaysia, replacing an earlier bid of up to 49%, according to reports. The larger stake required an exemption under Malaysia’s foreign-ownership cap for banks and had not received regulatory clearance. If approved, the revised application will allow DBS to open talks with Alliance’s biggest shareholder, Vertical Theme, a

A new Citi Hong Kong survey shows the number of Hong Kong multimillionaires has reached about 395,000 in 2025, up 5,000 from a year earlier and equivalent to one in 14 residents aged 21 to 79. These individuals hold at least HKD10m (USD1.28m) in net assets, including HKD1m in liquid assets, and report a median HKD20.5m in wealth and HKD10m in liquid holdings split evenly between property and cash or investments. The average multimillionaire is 55 years old, attained their fir

The IMF says the G20 growth outlook is the weakest since the 2009 financial crisis, with the bloc projected to expand just 2.9% by 2030 as protectionism, tariffs and policy uncertainty weigh on trade and investment. Advanced G20 economies are forecast to grow only 1.4%, far below the 3.9% expected for emerging markets. The Fund expects G20 output to rise 3.2% in 2025 before easing to 3.0% in 2026, down from 3.3% in 2024. It warned that higher tariffs risk driving inflation hi

Recruiters expect Hong Kong finance hiring to increase 10–15% in 2026 as asset growth and stronger equity markets prompt banks and fund houses to expand headcount. Robert Walters reports a 20% rise in active roles this year, though completed offers remain behind as employers stay cautious after pandemic overhiring and subsequent cutbacks. Robert Half noted increased openings in front-office and revenue-generating roles, with steady demand across middle and back offices. Banks

A new Global AI Competitiveness Index flags a widening governance gap as the European Union emerges as the world’s de facto rule setter for artificial intelligence while the United States and China retain an edge in deployment. The Global AI Competitiveness Index, which tracks AI governance and regulation across about 25 jurisdictions and includes Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council as an observer, identifies three competing models: the EU’s rights based AI Act

Hong Kong financial centre advantages in liquidity and law are in focus as the city competes with rival hubs in a volatile macroenvironment. Bankers highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a fundraising hub, with the market raising HKD216bn (USD28bn) from IPOs in the first 10 months of 2025 and tipped by some to reclaim the top global listing spot, even though its stock market currently ranks only fifth worldwide by size. Speakers at a recent Financial Times conference pointed to dee

South Korea economic recovery momentum is strengthening on the back of heavy fiscal spending and firmer exports, according to finance minister Koo Yun-cheol, who pledged fresh measures to spread gains beyond Seoul. He told a meeting of economic ministers that consumer demand is improving, supported by government “consumption coupon” schemes, while 26 major public institutions plan to raise investment this year to KRW69tr (USD47bn) from an original KRW66tr budgeted for infrast

Global wealthy families are increasingly turning to Hong Kong family offices as a base to access private investments in mainland China, particularly in electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, biotech, and selectively in real estate, according to Swiss family office platform Club Estate. The Zurich-based firm, which manages about 700m Swiss francs (USD884m) and operates in Luxembourg, Singapore, and Hong Kong, said clients are also diversifying away from US dollar assets i

A sharper-than-expected Japan GDP decline of an annualised 1.8% in Q3 marked the country’s first economic contraction in six quarters, driven by slumping exports to the US under higher tariffs and weaker housing investment. The fall, though milder than predicted, showed net external demand shaving 0.2 percentage point off growth, while private consumption inched up 0.1% and capital spending rose 1%, reflecting uneven domestic momentum. Economists view the setback as temporary

More than 100 global investors from Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Europe, and the UK will convene in Ho Chi Minh City on 3–4 December for the Vietnam 2.0 investor conference, a two-day event aimed at channelling long-term foreign capital into Vietnam. Organised by Dynam Capital, Vantage Point Asset Management, and Shinec Vietnam, the event—titled “Vietnam 2.0 – Unlocking the Next Growth Phase”—will spotlight opportunities in infrastructure, energy, environment, tech

Hong Kong property valuations are under intensified scrutiny as the city’s deepest real estate downturn since the Asian financial crisis prompts the banking regulator to monitor risks more closely. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has increased its oversight of lenders’ refinancing decisions involving stressed developers such as Lai Sun Development, urging continued credit support while reviewing exposure to commercial property loans, which account for about 8% of HKD10tr (US

A sharper-than-expected Thailand GDP drop in Q3 underscored mounting economic headwinds as weaker factory output and a softer tourism recovery dragged growth to 1.2% year-on-year, below the 1.6% forecast and down from 2.8% in the previous quarter. On a quarterly basis, GDP contracted 0.6%—the first decline since late 2022 and the steepest since mid-2021—as exports, manufacturing, construction, government spending, and tourism all lost momentum amid US tariffs and a tougher gl

Vietnam’s promotion to FTSE Russell secondary emerging market status is pushing global and Asia‑based family offices to shift the country from frontier exposure to core allocation, according to Das Family Office strategist Rainer Michael Preiss. Speaking at the Hubbis Vietnam Wealth Management Forum 2025, he said Vietnam is increasingly viewed as a structural ASEAN growth market alongside China and India. Preiss urged diversified exposure across listed equities, private equit

Hong Kong has renewed the contract of Securities and Futures Commission chief executive Julia Leung Fung‑yee for a further two years to the end of 2027, ensuring continuity as the markets watchdog advances regulatory and market reforms. Leung, who joined the SFC in 2015 and became CEO in January 2023 after serving as deputy CEO, previously held senior roles at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and as Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury. The government said