In this work, Christopher Chen examines and compares the regulation of over-the-counter derivatives in Hong Kong and Singapore, the two largest international financial centres in Asia Pacific. Chen analyses current or proposed regulations on trade reporting, centralised clearing and mandatory exchange trading mandates regarding OTC derivatives against the backdrop of reforms of international financial regulatory structure after the global financial crisis. The article also relates the reforms in Asia to development in major Western markets such as the US, the UK or the European Union. Apart from technical comparison and dissecting of content of rules from different angles, his work also examines the rationale behind those reforms and policy concerns behind Asian adoption of the regulatory mandates prescribed by G20 as well as potential policy concerns (such as competition and extraterritoriality) in a market that is dominated by Western banks.

An in-depth look at DTCC, including its role in the capital markets, its structure, and it's offerings and services.

In this groundbreaking guide, former investment banker Philippe Espinasse explains the process of gathering cornerstone investors in connection with IPOs and other equity offerings. Using his trademark simple and jargon-free language, he details the targeting strategies, documentation, marketing, and allocation of shares and other securities to these reference shareholders, and analyses why and how they make or break today’s new listings across Asia’s key markets. This essential guide—and the first of its kind—contains key information on the legal framework for cornerstone investors in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, and offers practical advice on how best to structure and conduct a cornerstone investor offering. It also discusses some of the more controversial issues associated with the practice of cornerstone investment and includes many real-life examples of cornerstone deals, sample documents, cornerstone investor profiles, an investor target list, and a comprehensive glossary. ‘There is no better person to shed light on the opaque world of cornerstone investing in Asian IPOs. Philippe Espinasse writes clearly, substantively, and expertly.’ —Jasper Moiseiwitsch, Asia companies and markets news editor, Financial Times ‘As engaging as it is informative. Espinasse has cut through legalese and jargon to create a pragmatic overview of this widely misunderstood, and distinctly Asian, investment banking concept. Packed with recent examples, this book doesn’t just teach you about cornerstones; it also provides an insider’s take of the region’s capital markets hubs.’ —Danielle Myles, capital markets editor, The Banker ‘Cornerstone investors have taken centre stage in Hong Kong’s IPO market. This book is needed now more than ever.’ —Matthew Thomas, Asia bureau chief, Euromoney Institutional Investor

There is much speculation regarding a “race for dominance” among financial centers in Asia, arising from the anticipated financial opening up of China. This frame of reference is, to an extent, a predilection that results from a traditional understanding of financial centers as possessing historical, geographic, and scale economy advantages. This paper, however, suggests that there is an alternative prism through which the evolution of financial centers in Asia needs to be viewed. It underscores the importance of “complementarity” rather than “dominance” to better serve regional and global financial stability. We posit that such complementarity is vital, through network analysis of the roles of Hong Kong SAR and Singapore as the current leading financial centers in the region. This analysis suggests that a competition for dominance can result in de-stabilizing levels of interconnectivity that render the global “network” as a whole more susceptible to rapid propagation of shocks. We then examine the regulatory and policy challenges that may be encountered in furthering such complementary coexistence.

This report offers an analytical framework that allows for more systemic assessments of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and its applications. It examines the evolution and typology of the emergent technology, its existing and projected applications, and regulatory and policy issues that they entail. This report highlights the trends, concerns, and potential opportunities of DLTs, especially for Asian markets. It also identifies the benefits and risks to using DLT and offers a functional and proportional approach to these issues.

This comprehensive Research Handbook provides an in-depth analysis of the different financial law approaches, legal systems and trends throughout Asia. It considers how reforms following the crises have been critical for the development and growth of the region and explores a broad range of post-crisis financial regulatory issues. This timely book also examines how inconsistent and divergent approaches to financial market regulation are curtailing the region’s potential.