Asia-Pacific family office sustainable investment exposure is increasing as more wealthy families and asset owners allocate substantial portions of portfolios to impact and environmental, social and governance strategies. A Sustainable Finance Initiative survey found that 27% of respondents allocated more than half of their assets to impact and ESG investments in 2026, up from 17% in 2025. The Hong Kong-based organisation surveyed 121 family office representatives and princip

Hong Kong billionaire hub status remains firmly established after the city retained its position as the world’s second-largest billionaire centre in 2025, according to Altrata’s Billionaire Census 2026. Hong Kong had 106 billionaires, two fewer than a year earlier, but their combined wealth continued rising to USD319bn. Property-sector weakness and relatively limited exposure to artificial intelligence-related gains weighed on the city’s billionaire population. New York remai

The Forest City fintech tax incentive will give eligible financial technology companies and related service providers access to a 5% corporate tax rate in Malaysia’s Forest City Special Financial Zone. The incentive is available for 10 years and may be extended for a further decade, subject to approval and continued compliance. Eligible businesses include fintech companies, financial global business services providers and foreign payment system operators. Qualifying activitie

Chinese state-owned banks profits recovered simultaneously in the first half for the first time since 2022 as revenue increased and net interest margins showed early signs of stabilisation. ICBC, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, Bank of Communications and Postal Savings Bank of China generated more than RMB2tr (USD297bn) in combined revenue and around RMB712.6bn in attributable profit. Revenue increased by between 4% and 11%, while profit ro

Hong Kong family office succession services are attracting Asian business-owning families seeking a base for governance, investment management and generational wealth transfer. Advisers say founder-led businesses increasingly want to separate operating capital from family wealth, while internationally dispersed families are looking for an Asian hub capable of supporting assets and heirs across multiple jurisdictions. Hong Kong had 3,380 single-family offices at the end of 202

Amova Vietnam asset management expansion is moving ahead through a proposed joint venture with BIDV Securities as the Japanese investment manager strengthens its Southeast Asian presence. The planned company, BSC Amova Asset Management, will serve individual and institutional investors by combining BIDV and its securities unit’s domestic customer base and local market expertise with Amova’s international investment capabilities. Establishment of the venture remains subject to

New South Korea leveraged ETF rules require investors to complete simulated-trading courses before buying leveraged exchange-traded funds as regulators seek to curb speculative activity. The measures particularly affect products linked to major technology stocks including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Trading volume in the affected products has fallen to around 4% of its June peak, while the ETFs recorded USD1bn of outflows in August, putting them on course for their firs

Singapore Indonesia local currency settlement is now operational, allowing trade, direct investment and cross-border payments between the two markets to be conducted directly in Singapore dollars and Indonesian rupiah. The framework, launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Bank Indonesia, is designed to reduce foreign-exchange risks and transaction costs while encouraging broader use of regional currencies. Appointed cross-currency dealers will facilitate settleme

Vietnam fund management assets have reached more than VND846tr (USD32bn) as the industry takes a larger role in supplying long-term capital and supporting development of the country’s institutional investor base. At the end of June, 43 fund managers and 142 investment funds were operating in the market. Assets under management had increased 6.8 times from 2015, representing annual growth of more than 20%. Despite that expansion, managed assets remain equivalent to only around

Raffles Family Office CIO responsibilities will be assumed by Citi Private Bank veteran Ken Peng following his appointment as the multi-family office’s first chief investment officer. Peng will be based in Hong Kong and report to group CEO Chi Man Kwan. He will lead the firm’s investment function, shape overall investment strategy and provide stakeholders with views on macroeconomic developments, investment themes and portfolio sustainability. He brings more than 20 years of

FSB AI financial risks are increasing as advanced artificial intelligence changes the speed, scale and cost of cyberattacks, Financial Stability Board Chair Andrew Bailey has warned. In a letter to G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, Bailey said many jurisdictions lacked sufficiently developed systems to manage the deployment of advanced AI. He identified AI-driven cyber threats as the most immediate concern, warning that financial institutions’ dependence on a

The Lawrence Ho family office is expanding into space technology through a USD1bn de-SPAC transaction involving Singapore-based satellite communications company Astrum Space. Black Spade Capital, the family office of Macau billionaire Lawrence Ho, will merge Astrum with Black Spade Acquisition III in its third de-SPAC transaction. The combined company intends to seek a listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Founded in 2023, Astrum is developing a satellite-to-device communic

Singapore family office gold allocations can now increase without breaching tax-incentive conditions after the Monetary Authority of Singapore removed a 5% portfolio cap on precious metals from Aug. 1. The change applies to funds and family offices operating under the Section 13O and 13U tax-exemption schemes, giving qualifying investors greater flexibility to hold physical gold as a geopolitical and portfolio hedge. Raffles Family Office said its baseline allocation remains

Family office relocation is being considered by more than half of wealthy families surveyed as geopolitical risk, cybersecurity concerns and access to specialist talent drive demand for multi-jurisdiction structures. Standard Chartered's The Great Repositioning report found that more than 54% of respondents were weighing a move. Foo Tian Ong, Southeast Asia regional head at Standard Chartered Global Private Bank, said Singapore remains attractive because of regulatory and tax

Asia family office sustainable investment allocations are rising, with more family offices committing substantial portions of their portfolios to impact and environmental, social and governance strategies. A Sustainable Finance Initiative survey of 121 family office representatives and principal asset owners found that 27% allocated more than half of their portfolios to sustainable investments in 2026, up from 17% a year earlier. Overall, 58% invested more than 10% of portfol

The first Hong Kong Five-Year Plan will be released alongside Chief Executive John Lee's annual Policy Address on Sept. 16, potentially providing greater clarity on how long-term development priorities connect with immediate government measures. Legislator Bill Tang urged officials to establish measurable performance indicators for innovation and technology, including research and development expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product and funding for gerontechnolog

Bitcoin Asia 2026 will bring investors, financial institutions and digital asset companies to Hong Kong on Aug. 27-28 as organisers seek to strengthen links between Bitcoin markets in Asia and the West. The two-day conference will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and forms part of The Bitcoin Conference series, which organisers describe as the world's largest gathering focused on the cryptocurrency. The programme will feature industry spea

The Hong Kong fintech summit formed by the merger of Hong Kong FinTech Week and StartmeupHK is expected to attract more than 45,000 participants from 120 economies when it takes place on Nov. 2-3, 2026. The combined event at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will bring together finance, technology, startup and investment communities under the theme “Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future”. Organisers expect around 1,000 speakers, 800 sponsors, exh

Singapore family office legal services are expanding with the launch of The Little Law Corporation, a boutique firm targeting founders, family offices, private equity managers and multinational companies involved in cross-border transactions across Asia. Founder and managing director Shen Xiaoyin has more than 14 years of experience spanning commercial litigation, international arbitration, mergers and acquisitions and investment advisory work. Her previous roles include Alle

Hong Kong remained first in the 2026 Asian Cities Internationality Index, reinforcing the city's position as one of the region's most internationally connected business centres. Hong Kong scored 74.6 points, ranking ahead of Singapore at 72.6. Seoul climbed to third with 69.2, followed by Tokyo at 68.6 and Shanghai at 65.3. The index, commissioned by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and conducted by Ipsos, assessed 11 cities across multiple measures of international