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Periodic Essay
Asian banking in challenging financial times
On June 25, 2009, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco held a symposium entitled Asian Banking in Challenging Financial Times. The symposium was part of the Country Analysis Units Asia Program, which aims to share information on issues and developments in Asian financial sectors with business and community leaders in the 12th Federal Reserve District and more broadly. This Asia Focus provides a brief summary report on the discussions held at that symposium.
Periodic Essay
Recent Japanese and Chinese investments in U.S. and European financial institutions
This Asia Focus report compares some of the more significant investments by Japanese and Chinese financial institutions in both the U.S. and Europe, highlighting trends and offering thoughts on the direction of future investments.
Periodic Essay
Implementation of anti-money laundering standards in Asia
Global money laundering and terrorist financing activities impose significant costs on the world economy by damaging the effective operations of national economies. In response to the challenges posed by these activities, Asian governments and regulators have strengthened their anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) regimes by adopting standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental agency that develops and promotes policies to combat AML/CFT. Economies in the region have strengthened AML laws, established financial ...
Periodic Essay
Balancing the state and the market: banking reform in China and Vietnam
This Asia Focus examines similarities in the process of banking reform in China and Vietnam, analyzes how both countries have dealt with financial crises, and draws lessons from their shared experiences that may be useful for other countries undertaking financial reforms.
Periodic Essay
Priority sector lending in Asia
This Asia Focus discusses Asia?s experience with priority sector lending, reviews the current state-level priority sector lending policies in several Asian economies, assesses the implications for the respective domestic banking systems, and examines potential alternative mechanisms to encourage lending to priority sectors.
Periodic Essay
Capital Flows, Bond Markets, and Financial Stability in Asia
The 1997 Asian financial crisis was a landmark moment and an important catalyst for financial transformation in the region. After the crisis subsided, Asian policymakers embarked on a series of initiatives aimed at developing robust local currency bond markets. The growth of bond markets across Asia has helped the region as a whole reduce its reliance on foreign funding dramatically since the crisis. Yet, a gap has emerged between creditor economies that are able to maintain large external surpluses and self-insure against risk and debtor economies that continue to remain dependent on ...
Periodic Essay
Banking in the clouds
Banks in Asia are looking into the opportunities, and risks, that cloud computing can bring to their industry as they expand domestically and regionally.
Periodic Essay
Islamic finance in Asia: recent developments and regulatory issues
With nearly two-thirds of the world?s Muslim population, Asia plays an important role in Islamic finance. The industry has experienced solid growth in the region in recent years due to robust demand for Shariah-compliant financial products as well as national governments? efforts to support the development of Islamic financial markets. This Asia Focus examines the size and growth of Islamic finance, reviews recent reports and studies on the industry, discusses key benefits and regulatory challenges, and summarizes recent developments in Asia.
Periodic Essay
Challenges in global finance: the role of Asia
On June 11-12, 2012, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (FRBSF) held its fifth Conference on Asian Banking and Finance in San Francisco, entitled ?Challenges in Global Finance: The Role of Asia.? Conference participants discussed how the ongoing economic and financial uncertainties in Europe will impact the Asian economies, banking sectors and trade flows; and how Asian banks and financial institutions themselves are addressing these issues.
Periodic Essay
Prudential liquidity standards in Asia
Since the outbreak of the global financial crisis, regulators have increased their focus on the ability of banks to measure and manage liquidity risk. In December 2009, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (the Basel Committee) identified ineffective liquidity management as a key characteristic of the crisis and highlighted the lack of attention that liquidity risk received relative to other risks prior to the crisis. Recognizing the key role of illiquidity in the crisis, the Basel Committee included two global minimum liquidity standards as part of the recently announced Basel III ...