Asia-Pacific
Banking and finance news from China, Japan, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific
Hong Kong SFC Fines Saxo Capital Markets HK$4 Million Over Virtual Asset Retail Breaches
Hong Kong's SFC has reprimanded and fined Saxo Capital Markets HK$4 million after the broker distributed 32 virtual asset-related products, including unauthorised virtual asset funds, to 136 clients, 130 of them retail, across 1,446 transactions.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Extends Green Banking Incentives by Two Years via Circular 1227
The BSP extended regulatory incentives for green and sustainable banking by two years under Circular 1227, as Philippine sustainable bond issuances reached PHP 515.9 billion in H1 2025.
India's UPI Sets All-Time Monthly Record With 21.63 Billion Transactions in December 2025
NPCI reported 21.63 billion UPI transactions worth Rs 27.97 lakh crore in December 2025, the highest monthly volume in UPI history, capping a full-year total of 228.3 billion.
Canara Bank Names Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia Interim MD and CEO Following K Satyanarayana Raju's Retirement
Canara Bank appointed Executive Director Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia as interim MD and CEO from 1 January 2026 after the superannuation of K Satyanarayana Raju.
Singapore's OCBC Installs Tan Teck Long as Group CEO as Helen Wong Retires
Tan Teck Long officially became OCBC Group CEO on 1 January 2026, succeeding Helen Wong, who retired after nearly five years leading one of Singapore's largest banks.
People's Bank of China Publishes Plan to Make Digital Yuan Interest-Bearing from January 2026
China's PBoC has published a plan for e-CNY wallet balances to earn interest from January 2026.
Sacombank Appoints Nguyen Duc Thuy as Acting CEO, Replacing Nguyen Thanh Nhung
Vietnam's Sacombank has appointed Nguyen Duc Thuy as Acting CEO, replacing Nguyen Thanh Nhung who had held the acting role since May 2025.
Bank of Japan Raises Policy Rate to 0.75%, Highest Level Since September 1995
The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark rate to 0.75% by unanimous vote, reaching its highest level since September 1995 and signalling further hikes ahead.
Federal Court Orders ANZ to Pay A$250 Million in Penalties Across Bond Misconduct, Hardship Failures, and Savings Rate Misrepresentations
Australia's Federal Court has ordered ANZ to pay A$250 million in penalties for bond market misconduct, hardship failures, and false savings rate claims affecting tens of thousands of customers.
RBI Imposes ₹61.95 Lakh Penalty on Kotak Mahindra Bank for BSBD, Business Correspondent, and Credit Reporting Violations
India's RBI has fined Kotak Mahindra Bank ₹61.95 lakh under the Banking Regulation Act and the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act for non-compliance with rules on basic savings accounts, business correspondents, and credit reporting.
APRA Imposes A$50 Million Capital Charge on Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Over Risk Management Deficiencies
APRA has imposed a A$50 million operational risk capital charge on Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, effective 1 January 2026, amid a concurrent AUSTRAC enforcement investigation.
APRA Accepts Court Enforceable Undertaking from Netwealth Superannuation Services Over Investment Governance Failures
APRA has bound Netwealth Superannuation Services to a Court Enforceable Undertaking requiring governance remediation, while a separate ASIC undertaking requires Netwealth to pay members more than A$100 million over First Guardian losses.