China attributes its slowest growth in a quarter century to uncertainties in the international economic environment, and to weak real estate investment and poor imports and exports at home. Should it export its way back to growth, or take a different tack?

As the Philippines becomes an attractive foreign direct investment destination, the country is readying for high-value-added manufacturing. Metrobank president Fabian Dee says the bank intends to support this direction while sticking to its core DNA, which is growing the business of the middle market, the entrepreneurs.

In the United Arab Emirates, banks have become more competitive in retaining their customers as a result of new regulations, while the rest are developing their individual strengths gained from their own customer experiences. The experiences of National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank illustrate how banks have adapted their strategies to new developments in the banking sector.

The Single Resolution Mechanism becomes fully operational to bolster the resiliency of banks in the European Union. This is the second of three conditions for the establishment of a Banking Union, in which all 19 euro member states must join.

Hong Kong will maintain its strategic role in bridging China with the rest of the world, even if more RMB payments are settled elsewhere. With its preeminence in clearing, settlement, and product diversity, Hong Kong can lead in fintech and should capitalise on higher-value products, particularly those that manage risk.

Efforts to create access to onshore capital markets will prove fruitless without strong product offerings

Knowing how to ensure safe, stable and well functioning markets is paramount to understanding where markets stand in terms of resilience

China’s “One Belt One Road” initiative is a brilliant strategic move but its delivery holds many risks

China welcomed the new year with yet another bloodbath that it has seen too much of in 2015. But unlike the August 2015 sell-off that was sparked by small jittery players, this time around, macroeconomic fundamentals are making the bears return, and global stock markets are left cowering.

Remittances slowed in 2014 mainly due to exchange rate volatility, as remittances are reported in US dollars.

It is clear that China’s goal of becoming the world’s largest economy by 2020 and the internationalisation of the RMB are two initiatives that are symbiotic in nature. With the recent IMF decision to include the currency in the SDR currency basket, what does the future hold for the RMB?

Hong Kong’s economy remains sound but the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is tamping down property loans and issuance of long-term personal loans. With the stricter regulations, the challenge for Hong Kong banks is not asset quality but pricing.

Formal financial institutions have connected only 22% of the Indonesian population. A huge potential for the financial sector still needs to be explored, and digitised lending, which combines retail banking with financial technology, should be a future solution.

Bank Muscat’s new phone banking platform with enhanced functionalities and customer recognition has brought about better customer service and satisfaction. The project won the award for “Best Self Service Banking Project in the Middle East” in The Asian Banker Technology Implementation Awards 2015.

The gross retail banking income for the entire region will grow by 8% by the end of 2017 after showing a year-on-year growth of 7.5% in 2016 and 10% in 2015.