The Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) was launched in December 2002 by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea---collectively known as ASEAN+3 to strengthen financial stability and reduce the region’s vulnerability to the sudden reversal of capital flows. This paper also provides recommendations for addressing new sources of market volatility and other challenges within and outside the framework of the Asian Bond Markets Initiative.

Local currency bond markets in ASEAN+3 play an important role in diversifying financial intermediary channels and mitigating the impacts of financial crises. They also have the potential to help mobilize developing Asia's significant savings to meet the region's enormous infrastructure investment needs. Drawing extensively on knowledge generated by the ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum, the publication looks at the essential building blocks and the enabling environment for these markets, as well as the roles of government, relevant authorities, and market participants.

The Asian Bond Markets Initiative was launched in December 2002 by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea-collectively known as ASEAN+3-to strengthen financial stability and reduce the region's vulnerability to the sudden reversal of capital flows. This publication looks at the achievements and medium-term plans, and provides recommendations for policy makers' consideration in addressing new sources of market volatility and other challenges within and outside the framework of the Asian Bond Markets Initiative.

Following the Asian financial crisis, the development of local currency bond markets in each of the APEC economies as well as regional bond markets has received the highest priority among financial market policy-makers. Bond markets are considered as an alternative vehicle for domestic savings mobilization and also as a critical means of mitigating the dual mismatch problems of currency and maturity. However, tangible achievements have yet to materialize. The appeal of Asian bonds as evidenced by cross-border investments is dismally insignificant. Given the limited level of market activities associated with foreign investment in Asian bonds and with the supply of local currency or foreign currency denominated bonds issued by foreign borrowers in Asia, this study is designed to identify the types of impediments to cross-border investment in Asian bonds and to propose policy recommendations.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been working closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People's Republic of China (PRC), Japan, and the Republic of Korea---collectively known as ASEAN+3---to promote the development of local currency bond markets in the region through the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI). ABMI was launched in 2002 to help channel regional savings toward long-term investments within the region. ABMI was established with the goal of improving the resilience of the region's financial systems by helping reduce the double mismatches (maturity and currency) of companies' investment financing. Since the launch of ABMI, local currency bond markets in the region have grown rapidly in recent decades in terms of size and diversity of issuers. This study was undertaken under ABMI and funded by the Government of Japan. It focuses on measures to expand the investor base for local currency bonds in ASEAN, the PRC, and the Republic of Korea, with the goal of generating greater variety in investment objectives and a wider range of investment strategies.