In Focus

China's 12th five-year financial plan seeks more financial controls

China has released its 12th Five-Year Plan for the Development and Reform of the Financial Industry it hopes will promote the continued healthy development of its battered financial industry.

China's 12th five-year financial plan seeks more financial controls

China has released its 12th Five-Year Plan for the Development and Reform of the Financial Industry it hopes will promote the continued healthy development of its battered financial industry.

Thai banks eye bigger share of Myanmar market

Thai banks are hopeful that they would get a sizable share of business in Myanmar, as the latter liberalises its financial sector.

ICICI Bank to raise RMB500 million

ICICI Bank Ltd, India's largest private sector bank, has turned to using the renminbi to tap Asia's rich bond market.

CCB launches massive international expansion

China's second largest bank expects to complete an M&A this year and will accelerate its foreign expansion in succeeding years.

Urgent Chinese financial sector reforms needed

Dangerously high levels of corporate debt and a continuing economic deceleration make it imperative that China implement urgent financial sector reforms.

Vietnam govt pledges to clean up banking system

The Government of Vietnam will take drastic actions in dealing with violations in the banking sector.

PDIC backs foreign ownership of Philippine rural banks

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation is supporting separate bills pending in the Philippine Congress that will permit foreign ownership of rural banks.

Siam Commercial Bank to issue bonds overseas

Siam Commercial Bank will issue Bt40 billion in subordinated debentures in the second and third quarters.

Philippine banks awash in too much cash

The Philippines’ central bank warns that the mountain of cash held by Philippine banks could trigger rampant inflation.

Chinese and French banks in SME investment alliance

Chinese and French state-owned banks have established a US$189 million fund to support each other's small and medium sized enterprises.

Fitch warns of bad debt tsunami overwhelming China’s banks

Fitch Ratings Ltd expects the balance sheets of Chinese banks to deteriorate until the first-half of 2013.

Mizuho to finance Japanese investments in Turkey

Mizuho Corporate Bank and Akbank signed a cooperation agreement to finance mergers and acquisitions between both countries.

China's banks threatened by NPLs

China's commercial banks are facing a high risk of increased bad loans as local governments try to unleash a new round of stimulus packages.

ICBC disappoints with 1st half results

China’s largest lender reported a 12.5% net profit rise for January to June, or less than half the comparable rate in 2011, while loans overdue for less than three months jumped 60%.

S.Korean banks face grim profit outlook

The economic slowdown and squeezed profit margins are keeping South Korean banks from generating more profit.

Chinese banks’ profit growth may fall to single digits in 2013

China’s banks, the world’s second most profitable after Indonesia’s, are expected to see profit growth fall below 10% in 2013.

Malaysia remains world leader in Islamic finance

Malaysia accounts for US$165.2 billion or 60% of worldwide sukuk deals. Sukuk is the Islamic equivalent of bonds.