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

Hong Kong is proposing stricter compliance requirements for family offices even as it broadens tax incentives to cover a wider range of alternative assets, including digital assets, precious metals and selected commodities. The Hong Kong family office rules are designed to ensure that firms benefiting from tax concessions maintain genuine economic substance in the city. Under the proposed framework, family offices seeking preferential tax treatment will need to satisfy “real

Investors in mainland China and Hong Kong have reportedly been barred from participating in SpaceX’s planned public offering, according to Bloomberg News. The SpaceX IPO restrictions were communicated by lead underwriters, which instructed syndicate members not to accept orders from customers in China and Hong Kong, including private banking clients. The reported decision reflects regulatory and compliance concerns surrounding cross-border participation in the offering. Forei

China has announced tougher supervision of its RMB23tr (USD3.4tr) private investment sector as regulators seek to reduce financial risks and channel more capital towards technology innovation and strategic industries. The China private fund industry reforms were unveiled by the China Securities Regulatory Commission as part of a broader clean-up campaign. The CSRC said it would strengthen registration requirements, crack down on illegal fund activities and encourage more long

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

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has urged licensed financial institutions to strengthen defences against AI-enabled cyber threats, warning that brokers and virtual asset trading platforms face growing risks from phishing, social engineering and deepfake attacks. The regulator said rapidly advancing artificial intelligence tools are making it easier for cybercriminals to launch large-scale attacks and misappropriate client assets. The warning comes after reported

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

Family offices are increasingly turning to external specialists to strengthen cyber defences as digital threats become more sophisticated, according to new research from Ocorian. The family office cybersecurity outsourcing study surveyed 200 family office executives and family members overseeing a combined USD119.4bn in wealth and found that 43% had experienced a cyberattack during the past two years. Despite rising risks, significant gaps remain. Around 18% of respondents sa

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission will introduce tougher compliance requirements for brokers, asset managers and other capital market intermediaries as part of a broader effort to combat financial crime. The Thailand mule accounts crackdown will take effect on Aug. 16 and is designed to strengthen safeguards against money laundering, cyber-enabled fraud and the misuse of investment accounts. Under the new rules, firms will be required to enhance customer due dilig

Singapore must strengthen its position not only as a global financial centre but also as a trusted AI finance hub, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said at the launch of DBS Group Research’s report, The Trusted AI Financial Hub. He argued that future financial centres will increasingly be judged by their ability to deploy artificial intelligence responsibly while maintaining trust, security and strong governance. The report ranked Singapore among the world’s leading AI-read

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission will undertake a comprehensive review of rules governing online investment commentators and content creators as digital platforms increasingly influence investment decisions. The Hong Kong financial influencers review was confirmed by Eric Yip Chee-hang, executive director of the SFC’s intermediaries division. Yip told lawmakers that the regulator began engaging with industry participants last year to assess whether changes to lic

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