Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang is positioning itself as a new regional finance hub after granting membership certificates to 16 organisations and financial institutions for its planned international financial centre. City authorities also issued letters of interest to three commercial banks and an international holding group, and approved investment proposals worth VND37.8tr (USD1.5bn), local media reported. The announcements were made at an investment promotion event link

Singapore is seeking to streamline cross-border listings as part of plans for a Global Listing Board linking SGX and Nasdaq, with reforms that could appeal to global issuers and long-term investors. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has proposed legal and regulatory changes that would allow companies to use a single prospectus for dual listings, speed up prospectus registration to better align IPO timelines with the United States, and introduce US-style safe harbour provisi

China is moving to tighten oversight of government investment funds as it seeks to steer capital more effectively toward national priorities such as industrial upgrading, innovation and entrepreneurship. The National Development and Reform Commission has issued a trial regulation setting stricter evaluation and management requirements for government investment fund allocations. The NDRC said the framework is intended to align capital deployment more closely with industrial po

Vietnam firms face rising delisting risk as concentrated ownership squeezes out minority investors, raising governance concerns. State-controlled PV Gas said it no longer qualifies as a public company after parent PetroVietnam held 95.76% of voting shares, breaching free-float rules. Similar ownership structures exist at PetroVietNam Low Pressure Gas Distribution, Vinacomin and other large firms. Under Vietnam’s securities law, prolonged non-compliance can trigger revocation

South Korean prosecutors have sought arrest warrants for MBK Partners chairman Michael Byung-ju Kim and three other executives over alleged misconduct at supermarket chain Homeplus. Prosecutors allege the executives knew a credit-rating downgrade was likely but still pushed Homeplus to issue asset-backed bonds in February last year before the retailer entered court receivership, causing investor losses. Warrants were requested for Homeplus CEO Kim Kwang-il, MBK vice president

A Singapore district judge rejected an application tied to DW Capital, a Singapore-based family office linked to alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi, to release funds frozen amid a money-laundering probe. Court documents said the Singapore family office sought to release funds for salaries, taxes and future costs. District Judge Kok Shu-en questioned the applicant’s credibility and ruled that preserving the assets best served the interests of justice as investigations into the Sing

Japan plans to establish by year-end a cross-ministerial body modelled on the US foreign investment watchdog CFIUS, strengthening Japan foreign investment screening to address national security risks linked to inbound capital, the government said. A bill to revise the foreign exchange law will be submitted when parliament’s ordinary session opens on Jan. 23, enabling the framework’s creation, officials said. The finance ministry will seek to double staff involved in Japan for

Hong Kong financial regulation reputation will be a key draw for global investors as the city navigates uncertainty and shifting asset allocations, Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui Ching-yu said. Hui said Hong Kong must upgrade infrastructure and develop new growth engines to keep investors relying on the city across market cycles. He said the government will trial a central clearing system for gold in 2026, seek cooperation with Shanghai to boost

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

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

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

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

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

Singapore SFO tax incentive reforms are likely to move ahead as the Monetary Authority of Singapore seeks to keep the city competitive as a global wealth hub despite heightened scrutiny, industry observers said. Singapore has strengthened its reputation through swift and transparent handling of a SGD3bn (USD2.2bn) money-laundering case in 2023 and scrutiny linked to Cambodia’s Prince Group, reinforcing confidence in governance standards. MAS has proposed streamlining document

South Korea corporate reform is entering what the Korea Enterprises Federation chairman Sohn Kyung-shik described as a “golden time” for economic transformation, as he urged policymakers to push structural changes to revive innovation and risk-taking. In a New Year address, Sohn called for easing rigid labour regulations, arguing that inflexible rules undermine productivity and slow adaptation to industrial change. He said labour-market reform could also help address debates

Thailand virtual banks 2026 are expected to begin operations by mid-year, with three approved consortiums preparing to roll out services by June 2026, and potentially earlier if ready, a Bank of Thailand assistant governor said. The central bank requires successful applicants to start business within one year of finance ministry approval granted on June 19, 2025. The winning groups include ACM Holding and Ascend Money’s TrueMoney backed by CP Group; a Krungthai Bank-led conso

China shadow banking scandal concerns have escalated after police in Zhejiang detained Yu Faxiang, chairman and chief executive of Hong Kong-listed Haichang Ocean Park Holdings, as authorities probe alleged wrongdoing tied to delayed repayments on multibillion-yuan wealth management products issued by Sunriver Holding Group, a firm he controls. Haichang said it was informed by Yu’s family that police had imposed criminal compulsory measures and opened an investigation, adding

South Korea economic security reforms are set to accelerate as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources undertakes its biggest reorganisation in 12 years, creating a new Industry Resources Security Office to act as a control tower for supply-chain and trade security. The Cabinet-approved plan adds one office-level unit, a director-level post, four divisions and 36 staff, the ministry said. South Korea economic security initiatives will also include appointing an industr