Moody’s Ratings has downgraded the Philippine banking outlook to negative from stable, citing risks from higher oil prices, inflation pressures and weaker economic momentum linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The revised Philippine banking outlook reflects concerns that banks may face slower credit growth and deteriorating asset quality over the coming year. The ratings agency said rising energy costs and inflation could weaken consumer spending, business conf

China has unveiled a comprehensive 15-point programme aimed at strengthening foreign capital inflows and improving the business environment for international investors. The China foreign investment plan includes measures to expand market access, facilitate fundraising and support foreign participation in domestic capital markets. The initiative, jointly released by the commerce ministry, state planner and finance ministry, covers sectors including finance, services, pharmaceu

South Korea’s financial regulator is considering measures to reduce market volatility after leveraged semiconductor ETFs contributed to sharp increases in speculative trading activity. Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin said authorities were reviewing possible stabilisation measures and acknowledged that the recent introduction of the products may have been rushed. The leveraged semiconductor ETFs are linked to shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, two

Thailand is reviewing its investment promotion framework following the introduction of a top-up tax designed to comply with OECD global minimum tax rules. The Thailand global minimum tax regime allows authorities to collect additional taxes from large multinational companies whose effective tax rates fall below the international minimum threshold of 15%. Finance Ministry officials are meeting with government agencies and the Board of Investment to assess how existing incentiv

AmCham Taiwan has renewed calls for a long-awaited Taiwan US tax deal, arguing that progress on the issue could significantly increase investment and trade between the two economies. The proposal gained fresh attention following the conclusion of a post-tariff trade arrangement between Taipei and Washington earlier this year. AmCham Taiwan president Carl Wegner said the Taiwan US tax deal would be a key topic during meetings with US officials in Washington. Taiwan has long so

Thailand is continuing efforts to establish itself as a regional financial centre, with officials reviewing draft legislation designed to attract investment and streamline regulation. The Thailand financial hub initiative remains a government priority despite delays in advancing the proposed Financial Hub Act through parliament. Fiscal Policy Office director-general Vinit Visessuvanapoom said authorities are reassessing the draft law and identifying measures that can be imple

China has unveiled new measures to accelerate yuan internationalisation while maintaining vigilance against financial risks, signalling a continued commitment to opening its financial markets. Speaking at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng outlined a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening offshore yuan usage and liquidity management. A key element of the yuan internationalisation strategy is the authorisation of six major state

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

Mirae Asset Securities has apologised after failing to secure an allocation of SpaceX shares despite collecting substantial investor orders for the offering. The Mirae Asset SpaceX IPO controversy has prompted regulatory scrutiny and raised questions about investor disclosures and allocation processes. According to Reuters, the brokerage gathered approximately USD500m in orders from South Korean investors but did not receive an allocation from the US lead underwriter, despite

Singapore’s revised framework for single-family offices officially took effect on June 15, simplifying compliance requirements for firms operating in the city-state. The Singapore family office framework changes are designed to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining regulatory oversight. Under the revised Singapore family office framework, eligible single-family offices are required only to notify the Monetary Authority of Singapore of their operations, maintain an a

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

The Chamber of Hong Kong Listed Companies has called for further reforms to help attract technology firms and founders to the city’s stock market, arguing that current proposals may still be too restrictive. The Hong Kong innovative companies debate centres on HKEX proposals to revise listing requirements for firms seeking weighted voting rights structures. Chairman Chan Ka-keung said the proposed “novelty test” could exclude high-quality businesses whose technologies or oper

Hong Kong is preparing to expand preferential tax treatment for alternative investment managers by exempting eligible carried interest and hedge fund performance fees from taxation. The proposed Hong Kong hedge fund tax reform forms part of broader efforts to attract investment professionals and strengthen the city’s competitiveness as a regional asset-management centre. The legislation, expected to be presented to the Legislative Council, would extend favourable treatment be

Credit Bureau Singapore and Experian Malaysia have signed an agreement to develop a two-way cross-border credit reports framework designed to improve access to financial services for consumers and businesses operating in both countries. The initiative aims to create a more seamless credit-assessment process across the Singapore-Malaysia corridor. Under the proposed system, individuals with financial histories in both jurisdictions will be able to share cross-border credit rep

Hong Kong remains firmly supported by mainland Chinese authorities as an international financial centre despite recent regulatory actions targeting illicit overseas investment channels, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said. Speaking at Bloomberg Invest in Hong Kong, Chan emphasised that the Hong Kong financial hub continues to play a critical role in connecting mainland and international capital markets. Chan said cross-border capital flows should move through legitimate and tr

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

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing chief executive Bonnie Chan said Stock Connect trading activity remains robust despite recent measures by China’s securities regulator targeting illegal cross-border securities operations. Speaking at a Bloomberg conference in Hong Kong, Chan said the regulatory actions have not affected legitimate market access through the programme. Average daily Southbound Stock Connect trading rose 14% this year to approximately RMB138bn (USD20.4bn) compar

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

Mainland Chinese investors are increasingly travelling to Hong Kong to preserve access to international markets following Beijing’s crackdown on unauthorised cross-border securities trading. The mainland Chinese offshore investments trend accelerated after regulators penalised online brokers Futu, Tiger and Longbridge for soliciting mainland business without appropriate licences. The crackdown has prompted some investors to transfer assets to Hong Kong-based brokers while nav

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