HKMA fintech plan priorities include expanding artificial intelligence adoption and accelerating fintech development through cooperation with Hong Kong’s other financial regulators, Chief Executive Eddie Yue Wai-man said. Under the five-year Fintech 2030 strategy, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority will widen its generative AI sandbox beyond banking to other industries, aiming to improve risk management, fraud detection and customer experience. Yue said the HKMA is in discussio

Asia-Pacific real estate outlook 2026 is positive, according to German asset manager DWS, which cited a rebound in regional investment volumes, easing monetary conditions and generally firm rental growth. DWS said markets now expect policy rates in Australia and South Korea to ease a further 25–30 basis points by end-2026, while the Bank of Japan could continue normalising policy with a small hike toward 1% within six to 12 months. High construction costs are constraining new

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

Japan real estate fund fundraising is accelerating as Goldman Sachs seeks to raise about USD500m for a Japan-focused property vehicle, aiming to capture a rebound in the market driven by low borrowing costs and a weak yen, sources said. The value-add Japan real estate fund has been marketed to investors in recent months and plans to invest across data centres, logistics, residential and hospitality assets, targeting mid-teen returns. A first close is expected by end-March. Ja

Malaysia SemakMule scam firms list has expanded after police added 10 more companies linked to scams to the Commercial Crime Investigation Department database, following numerous reports lodged within a month to Dec 31, Bukit Aman CCID director Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said. The firms named include CVC Grow Star Sdn Bhd, CVC Group Sdn Bhd, JMC M Trading Venture, JMC Asia Top Solution, KGI HK Sdn Bhd, Greenvale Trading Sdn Bhd, Titan Union Trading Sdn Bhd, Brightglobal Sdn Bhd, RX

Philippine sukuk rules proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could help deepen the capital market and attract domestic and foreign investors, RCBC chief economist Michael Ricafort said. A second exposure draft released in November sets issuance and disclosure standards focused on Shari’ah compliance, transparency and investor protection. Under the Philippine sukuk rules, publicly offered sukuk would require SEC registration and could be listed, traded and s

Hong Kong Investment Funds Association (HKIFA) CEO appointment sees the industry body name Paula Ip, a former UBS Global Wealth Management executive, as chief executive officer with immediate effect. Ip brings more than 30 years of experience in asset management and wealth advisory and most recently served as a managing director at UBS Global Wealth Management overseeing fund advisory and distribution across North Asia. She previously held senior roles at UBS, GAM, ING and J.

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

Family office talent crunch pressures are intensifying despite generous compensation, with nearly eight in 10 family offices struggling to hire staff, according to a survey by AlTi Tiedemann Global and Campden Wealth cited by Niccolò M. Mottola of Marcus Evans Group. Polling 146 offices, the study found 79% faced recruitment difficulties and 54% were concerned about retention, rising to 92% among offices managing more than USD1bn. Average chief investment officer pay was abou

Billionaire family offices permanent capital strategies are reshaping global dealmaking as wealthy families bypass traditional funds to invest directly across sectors including artificial intelligence, deep technology, data centres and healthcare. Deloitte estimates billionaire family offices permanent capital totals about USD5.5tr, up 67% from five years ago, and could exceed USD9tr by 2030, potentially overtaking hedge funds. The number of single-family offices has grown to

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

Hong Kong's new tax breaks are rocket fuel for its 2,700+ single-family offices (SFOs), making it the top hub for sustainable and tokenized investments. From 2025/26, zero profits tax hits digital assets (crypto), carbon credits, private credit, loans, and more in family funds—now including bond interest as fully qualifying, not "incidental", pulling in private credit funds and more bond flows. This cements HK's ESG leadership, with the existing mandatory disclosures for list

Family office crypto allocations increased in 2025 as global family offices expanded exposure to digital assets, with some investing in cryptocurrencies for the first time as market infrastructure, custody services and internal risk frameworks matured, advisers said. Family office crypto allocations were typically modest, but the shift marked a move away from experimental trades toward structured mandates covering bitcoin, ethereum and managed digital-asset funds, and in some

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

Korea banks AI strategy is taking centre stage as senior executives from the country’s major financial groups prepare to attend CES 2026 to scout artificial intelligence applications beyond traditional banking. Under the Korea banks AI strategy, KakaoBank said its chief executive Yun Ho-young will join AI and strategy teams to track developments including AI agents, blockchain-based fintech and AI-driven security. State-owned Industrial Bank of Korea will operate an exhibitio

Family office dealmaking 2025 slowed sharply in the first half as economic and geopolitical uncertainty weighed on risk appetite, PwC said in its Global Family Office Deals Study 2025. The report tracked more than 20,000 entities and found deal activity fell to about 7,199 transactions worth USD439.6bn, the lowest volume in a decade, after a brief rebound in late 2024. Exits declined in number, though proceeds rose for a second straight half-year, signalling selective cashing

Hong Kong family office tax reforms are expected to spur new fund launches and attract additional single-family offices once legislation takes effect next year, analysts said. Single-family offices are projected to rise from about 2,900 this year to as many as 3,500 by 2028. The government is widening eligible vehicles for incentives, including pension and endowment funds, and removing rules that treated bond interest as incidental income that could jeopardise exemptions. Ken