Asia-Pacific
Banking and finance news from China, Japan, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific
Singapore Finance Groups Pledged AI Training for 80,000 Local Workers
Twenty-three Singapore financial institutions collectively pledged to train more than 80,000 local employees in artificial intelligence by 2028 through a new industry-wide workforce development programme.
MUFG’s Emut Bank Secured Licence Ahead of Planned 2027 Launch
MUFG’s digital subsidiary received a Japanese banking licence and became MUFG Emut Bank, preparing to launch services as a regulated lender between January and March 2027.
DBS and Avaloq expand Asian wealth partnership towards S$1 trillion target
DBS and Avaloq signed a memorandum of understanding to expand their 18-year wealth-technology partnership, supporting the bank’s target of S$1 trillion in retail and wealth assets under management by 2030.
HKMA and Bank Indonesia sign cross-border QR payments cooperation memorandum
The HKMA and Bank Indonesia signed a memorandum to explore interoperable QR-code payments between Hong Kong and Indonesia, covering technical, operational and regulatory cooperation arrangements.
Bank Indonesia holds policy rate at 5.75% and expands hedging incentives
Bank Indonesia kept its policy rate at 5.75%, matching 29 of 32 economists’ forecasts, while increasing hedging-cost discounts for foreign investors in rupiah assets to support inflows.
Philippines set ₱1 billion capital floor for banks going digital
The Philippine central bank required thrift, rural and cooperative lenders operating like digital banks to hold at least ₱1 billion in capital and gave notified institutions six months to comply.
Barclays appoints Wee Yee-Yeong to lead Singapore and Asia private bank
Barclays appointed Morgan Stanley executive Wee Yee-Yeong to lead its private bank in Singapore and Asia later in 2026, succeeding interim Singapore head Alexander Harrison as regional expansion continues.
New Zealand central bank warns persistent oil rise could lift inflation
Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Anna Breman said persistently higher oil prices could lift near-term inflation above September forecasts before the bank’s next rate decision on 28 October.
Five Adani companies pay ₹15.08 million to settle SEBI proceedings
Five Adani companies paid a combined ₹15.08 million to settle SEBI proceedings over alleged disclosure and audit-compliance failures, without admitting or denying the regulator’s findings.
Reserve Bank of Australia keeps heightened scrutiny on ASX clearing systems
The Reserve Bank of Australia found ASX clearing and settlement facilities still only partly observed several critical standards, despite operational-risk improvements at two important facilities.
Reserve Bank of India halves liquidity surplus through bonds and swaps
The Reserve Bank of India reduced the banking system’s liquidity surplus by about 56% to ₹4.92 trillion through bond sales, foreign-exchange swaps and reverse repos after exceptional deposit inflows.
Reserve Bank of India finalises Basel market-risk capital rules for banks
The Reserve Bank of India finalised Basel III market-risk capital requirements for Indian banks, with the new trading-book framework taking effect on 1 April 2027.