Vietnam has introduced a stricter framework governing private corporate bond offerings and overseas bond issuance by domestic companies, strengthening oversight of how proceeds are used and improving issuer accountability. The Vietnam corporate bond rules came into force on June 5 under Decree No. 200/2026/ND-CP. Under the Vietnam corporate bond rules, proceeds may only be used for disclosed purposes, including investment projects, restructuring the issuer’s own liabilities a

Indonesia could attract as much as USD500bn in assets by establishing a competitive family office ecosystem, according to National Economic Council chairman Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. The Indonesia family office market initiative forms part of wider efforts to position the country as a major wealth-management destination within Southeast Asia. Speaking ahead of an international investment forum in Bali, Luhut said the Indonesia family office market could generate substantial ca

Hong Kong and Cyprus have signed a comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, investment and cross-border business activity. The Hong Kong Cyprus tax agreement is the city’s 58th such treaty and its third concluded this year. Financial Services and Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui said the Hong Kong Cyprus tax agreement will clarify taxing rights between the two jurisdictions and help investors avoid double taxation. Hong Ko

Danantara Investment Management, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara, has raised USD1.5bn through its first US dollar-denominated bond issuance, attracting strong investor demand despite concerns surrounding Indonesia’s markets and economic outlook. The Danantara bond sale comprised USD750m of five-year bonds and USD750m of 10-year bonds. According to Reuters, orders peaked at approximately USD4.6bn, allowing final yields to be reduced by 35 basis poin

Hong Kong’s Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises has secured commitments from 124 companies across six batches, with total planned investment reaching HKD73bn (USD9.3bn) and the potential creation of 25,000 jobs. The Hong Kong strategic enterprises programme has become a key pillar of the city’s efforts to attract high-value industries, technology firms and innovation-driven businesses. Bryan Peng, executive director of OASES, said the first five batches had already ex

China’s Ministry of Finance plans to raise RMB15bn (USD2.2bn) through a sovereign bond sale in Hong Kong, marking its third offshore yuan issuance in the city this year. The China sovereign bonds Hong Kong offering reflects growing international demand for yuan-denominated assets and continued support for Hong Kong’s offshore renminbi market. The bonds will be issued through public tender on June 16 via the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Central Moneymarkets Unit and will inc

ASEAN should focus on building a fully integrated regional financial-technology network rather than simply connecting individual markets if it wants to become a leading digital-finance hub, according to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang. Speaking at the ASEAN Future Forum 2026, he said an ASEAN fintech ecosystem would be critical to supporting economic growth, innovation and financial inclusion. Thang called for closer collaboration among governments, regulato

Singapore’s economy remains strong following better-than-expected first-quarter growth, but policymakers must prepare for increasing uncertainty arising from geopolitical tensions, inflation pressures and artificial intelligence-related disruption, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said. The Singapore economic resilience message came during a Singapore Press Club dialogue. Wong noted that the economy expanded 6% year on year in the first quarter, significantly exceeding the earlie

South Korea and ASEAN will begin formal negotiations this week to modernise their trade agreement and deepen cooperation in emerging sectors. The South Korea ASEAN FTA upgrade discussions will cover areas including the digital economy, critical minerals, supply-chain resilience and future trade facilitation. The first round of negotiations will be led by Park Geun-oh of South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and Alpana Roy, ASEAN’s director general for intern

Singapore businesses lose an estimated USD7bn annually because of inefficiencies in traditional international payment systems, according to research by Airwallex and the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The Singapore cross-border payments study found that payment failures, foreign-exchange spreads, correspondent banking fees and settlement delays continue to impose significant costs on companies. The report described these inefficiencies as a “Global Growth Tariff”

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned that the world economy faces a growing global recession risk if conflict in the Middle East continues into next year and disrupts energy supplies. The OECD said prolonged instability could weaken growth, increase inflation and force central banks to maintain tighter monetary policies. Under its baseline scenario, global growth is expected to slow from 3.4% in 2025 to 2.8% in 2026 before recovering to 3.1% i

Vietnam’s securities regulator is preparing a new round of Vietnam securities reforms designed to improve market accessibility and attract additional foreign investment as the country pursues a long-term effort to upgrade its stock market status. State Securities Commission Chairwoman Vu Thi Chan Phuong said Vietnam’s stock market capitalisation had reached approximately USD410bn by mid-May, while average daily trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange stood at around U

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has upgraded its South Korea growth forecast for 2026 to 2.6% from 1.7%, citing robust semiconductor exports driven by the global artificial intelligence boom. The revised South Korea growth forecast reflects expectations that strong chip demand will continue supporting exports, investment and broader economic activity. The OECD noted that South Korea’s exports surged 53% year on year to a monthly record of USD87.8bn

Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 will return from Nov. 2 to 6 and is expected to attract more than 45,000 participants from over 120 economies, reinforcing the city’s position as a leading global financial technology centre. The Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 programme will feature its main conference at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Nov. 2 and 3. Organisers said the event will bring together more than 1,000 speakers, 800 sponsors, exhibitors and start-ups, as wel

Hong Kong has experienced stronger investment activity following recent conflicts in the Middle East, according to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po. The Hong Kong capital inflows trend has been supported by international investors seeking stability and access to Asian markets. Chan told lawmakers that European and American investors accounted for approximately 40% of inflows into Hong Kong’s stock market rally since September 2024, while Southbound Stock Connect contribute

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing said 62 companies completed listings in Hong Kong during the first five months of 2026, highlighting renewed momentum in the city’s capital markets. The HKEX new listings data also showed that approximately 500 listing applications are currently under review, indicating a substantial pipeline of prospective issuers. As of May 29, Hong Kong had 2,726 listed companies, including 2,419 on the main board and 307 on GEM. During the same period, 22

Global investors are showing renewed interest in Chinese assets as rapid technological advances and lower valuations draw attention back to the world’s second-largest economy, according to JPMorgan research. The China asset investment survey found that 57% of investors were considering exposure to China, up from 51% a year earlier. Kwang Kam Shing, JPMorgan’s chairwoman for North Asia, said foreign investment allocations into Hong Kong and mainland China remain historically l

Hong Kong plans to launch a new gold-clearing system by July, moving ahead of Singapore in the race to become Asia’s leading bullion trading hub. The Hong Kong gold clearing initiative is expected to improve liquidity and strengthen the city’s role in regional gold pricing, supported by large bullion flows linked to mainland China, the world’s largest gold consumer. Hong Kong is also expanding its bullion infrastructure. SF Holding plans to develop a vault near the airport, w

Vietnam’s central bank will simplify 11 administrative procedures covering foreign exchange management from July 25, 2026, under a new circular aimed at improving efficiency and decentralising approvals. The Vietnam foreign exchange procedures reforms cover foreign borrowing, overseas lending, international bond issuance, indirect investment and foreign currency accounts held abroad. Circular No. 17/2026/TT-NHNN amends and supplements five legal documents and requires the Sta

Companies across Southeast Asia plan to allocate 81% of capital expenditure within Asia over the next three years, led primarily by ASEAN markets, according to The Business Times Insights: ASEAN Intelligence 2026 survey. The ASEAN intra-Asia investment findings were based on responses from more than 500 business leaders across the ASEAN-6 economies. All respondents said they planned additional capital deployment within Asia, with 90% focused on ASEAN markets, 77% targeting do