APEC financial policy coordination will be strengthened as finance ministers seek to address external economic risks, improve financial resilience and support sustainable growth across the Asia-Pacific region. China's Finance Minister Lan Fo'an said participating economies had agreed to deepen macroeconomic cooperation and strengthen financial systems to safeguard regional stability. Ministers discussed the potential for artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to im

China actively managed ETFs are set to expand following regulatory approval of 18 new exchange-traded funds, potentially directing tens of billions of yuan into domestic equities. The China Securities Regulatory Commission approved the products as authorities seek to strengthen investor confidence and support stock market stability. Each fund could raise approximately RMB2bn (USD300m), according to domestic media reports, with sales expected to begin on Friday. CSRC Chairman

The Southeast Asia digital economy is projected to expand 17% to USD368bn in gross merchandise value during 2026, supported by e-commerce growth and increasing artificial intelligence adoption. According to the e-Conomy SEA 2026 report by Bain, Google and Temasek, regional digital economic activity could reach USD1.1tr by 2035. E-commerce is expected to account for USD226bn in gross merchandise value this year, potentially increasing to USD820bn by 2035. Artificial intelligen

Singapore family office risks are increasingly centred on interest rates and bond yields, according to a Deutsche Bank poll of wealthy individuals and family offices. The survey, conducted during the Emerging Markets Family Office Forum 2026, found that 37% of respondents considered interest rates and bond yields the greatest threats to economic growth. Inflation ranked second at 23%, followed by artificial intelligence at 17%. Concern about AI has increased substantially fro

Hong Kong late payments remain widespread despite improving economic conditions, with 93% of businesses reporting delayed payments during the past year, according to credit insurer Coface. Its APAC Payment Survey 2026 found that half of Hong Kong respondents expect payment conditions to deteriorate over the next 12 months. Companies reported an average period of 144 days between delivering goods and collecting payment, while overdue periods in the energy, transportation and m

Asian single-family offices are emerging as a preferred structure for managing wealth following business sales, although succession planning remains a major challenge for wealthy families, according to Julius Baer. The bank’s Family Barometer survey, covering more than 700 wealth advisers worldwide, found that only 3.5% of professionals advising Asian families considered their clients fully prepared to sell or transfer their businesses. Differences in business valuation expec

Southeast Asia startup debt funding nearly doubled to USD6.1bn in 2025 as companies increasingly sought alternatives to equity financing amid challenging fundraising and exit conditions. According to data platform Tracxn, debt funding increased from USD487.8m in 2023 to USD3.1bn in 2024 before rising further in 2025. Equity funding moved in the opposite direction, declining from USD8.4bn in 2023 to USD7.9bn in 2024 and USD6.2bn in 2025. Tracxn co-founder and chief executive N

Greater Bay Area financial integration is set to deepen under new Chinese government guidelines designed to expand financial support for technological innovation and strengthen cross-border cooperation. China’s central bank and other government agencies have outlined measures covering Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. The plan calls for closer policy coordination, information sharing and mutual recognition of regulatory standards, alongside

The proposed AIIB Hong Kong office could strengthen the city’s role in regional infrastructure financing and connect international investors with development opportunities across Asia. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government would support the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s plans to establish an office handling financing and operational functions. Lee made the remarks during a meeting with AIIB President Zou Jiayi ahead of the 2026 Asia-Pacific E

Antares Ventures family office backing has helped the Singapore-based investment firm raise more than USD50m at the second close of its first institutional deeptech fund. Antares Ventures I is targeting USD100m, with investors including family offices and strategic investors from Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea. The fund has invested approximately USD27m across nine companies developing technologies in energy storage, electricity grids, industrial systems, water treatme

Asia-Pacific commercial real estate offers opportunities for investors seeking stronger income growth and portfolio diversification, according to Principal Asset Management. The US-based investment manager plans to increase its activity in regional commercial property markets, where investors remain relatively underweight in office assets. Richard Hill, senior managing director and head of global real estate research and strategy, said higher interest rates were encouraging i

Asian family office succession planning needs to provide younger generations with greater independence while preserving the values and principles underpinning family wealth, according to speakers at the BDO Global Private Client Symposium in Singapore. The discussions come as Asia prepares for an estimated USD12tr intergenerational wealth transfer over the next 15 years. Russell Wee, a second-generation member of the Jean Yip Group family, said family offices should maintain

Taiwan's financial sector is set for further consolidation after the Financial Supervisory Commission approved two significant transactions involving banking and insurance groups. The approvals cover the merger of Bank SinoPac and King's Town Bank, together with E.Sun Financial Holding's acquisition of Mercuries Life Insurance. Bank SinoPac will become the surviving entity when the merger takes effect on 1 January next year, creating a lender with 189 branches, the second-lar

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

Singapore businesses lose an estimated USD7bn annually because of inefficiencies in traditional international payment systems, according to research by Airwallex and the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The Singapore cross-border payments study found that payment failures, foreign-exchange spreads, correspondent banking fees and settlement delays continue to impose significant costs on companies. The report described these inefficiencies as a “Global Growth Tariff”

The Missing Layer in Family Office Investing (Article 2 of 4) CSRD, AI disclosure norms, and the expanding governance perimeter — why private wealth can no longer sit outside the regulatory frame. There is a widely held assumption in private wealth management that AI and ESG governance regulations are designed for large public companies. Publicly listed, heavily scrutinised, institutionally owned. Not for the family office managing a mid-market portfolio across three jurisdic

Companies across Southeast Asia plan to allocate 81% of capital expenditure within Asia over the next three years, led primarily by ASEAN markets, according to The Business Times Insights: ASEAN Intelligence 2026 survey. The ASEAN intra-Asia investment findings were based on responses from more than 500 business leaders across the ASEAN-6 economies. All respondents said they planned additional capital deployment within Asia, with 90% focused on ASEAN markets, 77% targeting do