Hong Kong budget family offices initiatives aim to strengthen the city’s appeal to global investors through tax expansion, infrastructure upgrades and digital finance development, according to IQ-EQ managing director Clare Chang. She said widening eligibility to include funds-of-one and recognising assets such as digital tokens and precious metals reflects how wealthy families structure portfolios combining private equity, private credit, real assets and co-investments. The H

Korea business environment guide published by the Korea Enterprises Federation aims to help foreign institutions and investors better understand the country’s regulatory and economic landscape. The English-language booklet titled 2026 Business Environment and Labor Market in Korea outlines major economic policies, labour regulations and recent statistics. KEF said the Korea business environment guide has been distributed to about 250 organisations worldwide including the OECD

China GDP growth target 2026 was set at 4.5% to 5% in Premier Li Qiang’s annual work report to parliament, signalling policymakers’ readiness to accept slower expansion amid economic headwinds. The target is slightly below the around 5% goal used in the past three years as officials confront weak domestic demand, a prolonged property downturn and external uncertainty. Analysts said the China GDP growth target 2026 reflects a shift toward more realistic medium-term growth mana

Raffles Family Office platform for Asian asset managers will be launched through a venture called Quantive Partners in partnership with wealth-tech firm GoUpscale and consultancy Synpulse. The privacy-first Raffles Family Office platform aims to reduce fragmentation caused by multiple custodians, portfolio tools and data sources while improving data integrity, risk visibility and client engagement. Raffles Family Office will act as anchor partner, GoUpscale will build the res

Chinese lenders Middle East exposure is being reduced as financial firms curb lending risks linked to the escalating Iran conflict, Bloomberg News reported citing people familiar with the matter. One major Chinese bank has restricted drawdowns on a bilateral loan to an Abu Dhabi government-linked financial institution, while a mid-sized lender is seeking buyers for parts of syndicated loans to Middle Eastern borrowers. Asian and Chinese banks extended more than USD15bn of loa

Hong Kong and Macau financial infrastructure cooperation has expanded after the two regions’ monetary authorities signed a revised memorandum of understanding covering broader collaboration. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said the updated pact extends beyond banking supervision to include financial infrastructure linkages, information exchange on currency and statistics, and industry training. HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue said the agreement deepens collaboration as both c

Indonesia outlook negative Fitch decision reflects rising concerns about policy credibility and fiscal risks even as the rating agency affirmed the country’s BBB long-term foreign-currency rating. Fitch said increasing policy uncertainty and more centralised decision-making could weaken fiscal guardrails, including the 3% of GDP deficit cap. The agency also highlighted risks from a review of the State Finance Law in the government’s 2026 legislative priorities. The Indonesia

Family offices frontier science investing is accelerating as wealthy Asian families expand allocations to sectors such as space technology and longevity biotech. The Venture Network founder Lachezar Zanev said younger heirs are increasingly pursuing both outsized returns and social impact through emerging scientific industries. Lower launch costs and improving satellite capabilities, alongside biotech advances moving toward clinical applications, are widening the opportunity

Hong Kong family office tax exemptions could widen as authorities seek to strengthen the city’s position as a global wealth hub. Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui said the government plans to expand profits-tax exemptions for eligible family offices and funds to include assets such as private credit, gold and commodities, carbon credits, insurance-linked securities and certain digital assets. The Hong Kong family office tax exemptions proposal will

South Korea banks emergency support programmes were activated after escalating Middle East tensions increased risks for financial markets and companies. Hana Financial Group said it would provide KRW12tr (USD8.2bn) in assistance including emergency liquidity of up to KRW500m per firm, loan-maturity extensions, grace periods and rate reductions. Woori Financial also tightened monitoring and strengthened cybersecurity checks. Regulators said broader market stabilisation steps w

China tax crackdown unified market efforts intensified in 2025 as the State Taxation Administration investigated 389 leads related to illegal tax practices linked to local investment incentives and corrected confirmed violations. Authorities also strengthened tax information reporting rules for internet platforms, with more than 8,000 platforms now complying in a move aimed at improving competition between online and offline businesses. The China tax crackdown unified market

Hong Kong independent wealth managers model changes are accelerating as private banks tighten compliance requirements and ultra‑rich clients demand broader advisory expertise. Industry executives ahead of the Hubbis Independent Wealth Management Forum Hong Kong 2026 said banks are institutionalising client relationships with heavier onboarding including source‑of‑wealth checks. The Hong Kong independent wealth managers model shift reflects growing demand from families for gov

Family offices are becoming increasingly professionalised and formalising governance as wealthy families prioritise long-term capital preservation, according to the 2025 Global Family Office Compensation Benchmark Report published by Mondaq in cooperation with KPMG Private Enterprise and recruiter Agreus. The study, based on a survey of 585 family-office professionals and 20 interviews with senior executives, found that more offices now operate as standalone entities rather t

Citigroup has appointed Yuko Nakayama as head of equity capital markets for its Japan investment banking franchise, strengthening its Japan equity capital markets franchise as competition intensifies for dealmaking talent. Effective immediately, Nakayama will lead the Japan ECM team and report to Taiji Nagasaka and Akira Kiyota, with matrix reporting to Harish Raman and Kenneth Chow. Nakayama previously worked at Citi from 2009 to 2015 before moving to Goldman Sachs and later

JPMorgan Chase & Co will discontinue Aumni’s services worldwide, with the Aumni shutdown affecting operations in the Philippines where the venture-capital analytics unit represents around 1% of the bank’s roughly 25,000 employees, according to local media and a bank statement. The shutdown also covers Aumni’s operations in the US, Britain and India, although JPMorgan emphasised that the Philippines remains a critical hub for its broader activities. People familiar with the ma

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan met representatives from Hong Kong family offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia in London this week, intensifying efforts to draw private wealth and fintech firms to the city. The discussions highlighted how Hong Kong family offices remain central to Hong Kong’s global outreach strategy. UK-based digital bank Revolut is among the companies preparing to establish operations in the city after meeting Chan, according to people fa

Investor and real estate developer Eldiyar Muratov said family offices will increasingly replace banks in the next market cycle, arguing that Hong Kong family offices and private syndicates can move faster than traditional institutions. He said compliance-heavy bank processes often require months of paperwork, while ultra-high-net-worth investors can act swiftly and directly. Muratov noted rising dealmaking in Dubai, Singapore and wider Asia, where two or three families pool

Malaysia’s fund management industry recorded MYR1.15tr (USD219.46bn) in assets under management at end-September, up from MYR1.07tr at end-2024, regulatory data showed. The increase was driven by a broad global equity rally. Equity funds climbed 11.3% to MYR566.84bn, while bond funds rose 5.7% to MYR261.62bn. Money market funds grew 2% to MYR147.1bn, and private equity funds increased 3% to MYR18.44bn. The performance came as major markets strengthened, with the Dow Jones Ind

Asia M&A 2025 activity fell 19% to USD284bn in the first nine months, marking the region’s weakest performance in a decade, according to Boston Consulting Group. In contrast, global M&A rose 10% to USD1.94tr, its second consecutive annual increase. North American dealmaking surged 25% to USD1.2tr, while Europe slipped 5% to USD375bn. Technology, media, and telecoms dominated global activity at USD536bn, followed by financials and real estate at USD357bn and industrials at USD

China QFII rules 2025 will see a major overhaul as the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced plans to simplify entry and operations for qualified foreign investors. The new framework introduces a “green channel” for sovereign wealth, pension, and charitable funds while expanding access to ETF options and commodity futures for hedging. CSRC Chairman Wu Qing said the reforms aim to enhance China’s market inclusiveness, adaptability, and competitiveness. The regulator