The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) plans to double its annual financing to about US$20 billion by 2030 as the Beijing-headquartered multilateral lender enters its second decade, its president said on Monday. Announcing the target at the opening of the bank’s 11th annual meeting in Doha, Qatar, AIIB President Zou Jiayi said member economies had voiced a “remarkably consistent” need for greater project funding. “They need more infrastructure and more financing to build it,” Zou told...

More than a third of Hong Kong’s office tenants are expecting to increase headcounts over the next 12 months, but only a fifth are likely to expand their real estate footprint, according to a survey by Colliers. The results of the fourth annual Hong Kong occupier survey by the property consultancy pointed to a “growing disconnect between hiring intentions and office expansion plans, as many occupiers continue to absorb growth within their existing premises through more efficient space...

Chinese chip foundry CanSemi Technology’s Shenzhen initial public offering (IPO) is emerging as one of mainland China’s most sought-after tech listings this year, as investors bet on its push into silicon photonics and its role in domestic artificial intelligence infrastructure. The Guangzhou-based company’s retail tranche was oversubscribed by more than 2,300 times after clawback, according to a stock exchange filing late on Sunday, as investors scrambled for a piece of the domestic...

The Hong Kong government has appointed Bryan Chan Ping-keung, a former executive at bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), as CEO to lead the development and operation of the city’s new central clearing and settlement system for gold. Chan will head Hong Kong Precious Metals Central Clearing (HKPMCC), a wholly government-owned entity established in January to run the clearing system for precious metals. His appointment would take effect on October 2 for a three-year term,...

A rollback in public utility vehicle (PUV) fares is possible if fuel prices drop or stabilize in the coming months and a petition is filed, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Acting Chairman Greg Pua Jr. said Monday.

Philippine financial markets opened the week on a weak note, dragged down by rising global crude oil prices as the conflict in the Middle East remains unresolved.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Monday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) against economic sabotage.

China’s top intelligence and security agency on Monday issued a stark new warning on the risks of cryptocurrencies, highlighting their role in crime and stressing that transactions are not anonymous. Here are three things to know about the fresh warning from the Ministry of State Security (MSS) and China’s latest stance on virtual assets. What did the ministry say about cryptocurrencies? Virtual currencies facilitated money laundering activities and cyberattacks, and served as “accomplices” in...

Telecommunications firm Globe has posted its strongest network performance so far this year in August, recording its highest overall score and fastest average download speed in the latest Telco Report Card of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Overall vehicle sales declined in August due to adverse weather conditions, but the share of electric vehicles increased, a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) showed.

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio has deepened its partnership with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group after agreeing to sell a stake in its battery swap subsidiary to the automotive conglomerate in a deal that values the unit at 16 billion yuan (US$2.4 billion). Geely Holding, controlled by Chinese billionaire Li Shufu, would pay 640 million yuan in cash and contribute its wholly owned battery-swapping unit Yiyi Internet Technology in exchange for a 30 per cent share in Nio Power, Nio said in a...

Mainland Chinese stocks fell to their lowest level in 13 months on Monday as the sell-off in technology shares intensified amid concerns that elevated global capital costs and surging oil prices would curb risk appetite. Markets opened the week on a sombre note, with the CSI 300 Index dropping 2.2 per cent to close at a level not seen since August 21 last year. The chip-heavy Star Market 50 index tumbled 4.1 per cent, capping its steepest single-day decline in five weeks and closing in on the...

Overseas Filipinos have shown interest in the upcoming initial public offering of Mynt, the parent company of GCash.

Motorists will get a reprieve this week, as fuel retailers on Monday announced pump price rollbacks after three straight weeks of major hikes.

Zhuhai Amicro Technology, a Xiaomi-backed chipmaker, is preparing to begin premarketing for a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) of more than US$100 million as early as this week, according to people familiar with the matter. The company passed its listing hearing with bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) last week, clearing the final regulatory hurdle for a share sale in the city, the people said, requesting anonymity because the information is private. According to...

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Global markets have rarely lacked opportunity, but the conditions affecting them have become far more difficult to read. Geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change can reshape both investment and business outlooks. For high-net-worth (HNW) individuals, returns obviously remain important, but they are increasingly considered alongside institutional strength, regulatory stability and the ability to keep long-term...

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued a circular implementing the renewed excise tax break on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene, less than three months after it was lifted, as crude oil prices breached the threshold for tax relief again amid the conflict in the Middle East.

This note examines how different climate transition pathways affect firm-level credit risk across ASEAN+3 economies, using 12-month probabilities of default as a measure of credit risk. It compares outcomes under Nationally Determined Contributions and net-zero 2050 scenarios against current policy baselines, revealing sector-specific and country-specific variations. The findings show that transition risk is highly heterogeneous, […]

Several Chinese mutual funds investing in US stocks have warned investors about risks associated with hefty premiums to their net asset values, highlighting persistent demand for US equities even after Beijing expanded quotas for outbound investment. At least six fund houses, including China Asset Management, Hua An Fund Management and China Universal Asset Management, issued warnings last week after the market prices of some of their funds rose substantially above their net asset values,...

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Global markets currently face high levels of uncertainty. Inflation remains elevated in developed economies, the trajectory of monetary policy is unclear, and complex geopolitical tensions add further complexity to the outlook. At times like this, it makes sense for fixed-income investors to broaden their portfolio exposure. Asian fixed income presents attractive opportunities to diversify across markets, supported by...

Italy is becoming a magnet for wealthy property investors thanks to its high quality of life and flat tax regime, and interest is also on the rise among mainland Chinese and Hong Kong buyers, according to property agents. Rome introduced a flat tax regime nine years ago to attract high-net-worth individuals, with foreign residents allowed to make a flat annual tax payment of €300,000 (US$342,000) on all their overseas income under the scheme’s latest rules. The tax incentive has become a draw...

The Asian Development Bank projects inflation across developing Asia-Pacific economies will stay above 2025 levels through 2027, driven by geopolitical conflicts, higher energy costs, and extreme weather. The September Asian Development Outlook update slightly lowered the 2026 inflation forecast to 4.2% while raising the 2027 projection to 3.5%. Conflicts affecting oil markets and an expected […]

TAT promoted Thailand's film strengths and tourism at TIFF 2026, highlighting diverse filming locations and enhancing international connections.

After two decades backing some of the world’s earliest artificial-intelligence companies, Liu Wei has moved from investor to builder. A longtime technology enthusiast, Wei spent 18 years as an early-stage investor, including as general partner of Legend Star Ventures and founding CEO of Baidu Ventures. He has invested in and incubated more than 400 early-stage technology companies worldwide, including more than 50 focused on AI for life sciences. Today, as co-founder and CEO of BioMap, he is...

Rainfall and flooding in Bangkok could disrupt travel. Airports are operational; travelers should monitor updates and allow extra time.

Last week, the president of the United States stood at the podium of the United Nations General Assembly and asked aloud whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly”. Donald Trump then turned to Venezuela’s oil and declared: “To the victor belong the spoils, you’ve all heard that …” He spoke as the Iran war neared its eighth month, a week after the UN Human Rights Council found “reasonable grounds to believe” that the US had committed war crimes. In the same speech,...

TAT promotes "Healing is the New Luxury" in Japan, focusing on wellness, culture, and immersive travel for high-value tourists.

Hong Kong developers have already sold all of the more than 290 new flats they launched over the weekend, as buyers look to lock in mortgages ahead of an anticipated rise in interest rates later this year, according to property agents. The decision by the city’s major banks to hold rates steady despite the US Federal Reserve’s recent rate increase appeared to have given buyers a push, with many expecting local rates to rise in the coming months, said Derek Chan Hoi-chiu, head of research at...

Public utility vehicles (PUVs) without a printed fare matrix posted inside their vehicles cannot implement the recently approved fare hike and may face penalties, the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) said Sunday.

International investors who have seen early signs of recovery in mainland China’s office and retail property markets are expected to start buying when oversupply concerns are eased, according to global real estate firm JLL. Stuart Crow, JLL’s CEO for capital markets in the Asia-Pacific region, said foreign institutions would fall back in love with mainland property assets when new supply was absorbed by fresh take-up. “International investors are waiting for the real economy to really absorb...