Facilitating Foreign Exchange Risk Management For Bond Investments In Asean 3

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been working closely with 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 foster the development of local currency bond markets and facilitate regional bond market integration under the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI). ABMI was launched in 2002 to strengthen the resilience of the region's financial system by developing local currency bond markets as an alternative source to foreign currency denominated short-term bank loans for long-term investment. Bond investors typically have a long position in local currency bond markets. To manage their foreign exchange (FX) risk, they may want to hedge that exposure for a period of time. They also want to be sure they can easily convert the local currency to dollars upon the sale of a bond. This study was undertaken under ABMI and funded by the Government of Japan. It reviews the FX and FX hedging markets in ASEAN+3 as they relate to cross-border investments in local currency bonds, and makes recommendations to facilitate the development of the markets and FX risk management.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is 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 develop local currency bond markets and facilitate regional bond market integration under the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI). ABMI was launched in 2002 to strengthen the resilience of the region's financial system by developing local currency bond markets as an alternative source to foreign currency-denominated, short-term bank loans for long-term investment financing. The need for infrastructure investment among ASEAN+3 members is well documented, with estimates for needed investment through 2020 reaching as high as $550 billion. Local currency financing of infrastructure projects has the important advantage of avoiding the currency risk that can arise when a project generating revenues in the domestic currency has foreign currency-denominated debt service requirements. This study was undertaken under ABMI and funded by the Government of the PRC. It addresses two key questions: (i) Why is local currency bond financing not more widely used for infrastructure projects in ASEAN+3? and (ii) What can be done to promote infrastructure bond financing?

The ASEAN+3 Multi-Currency Bond Issuance Framework (AMBIF) is a policy initiative of the Asian Bond Markets Initiative to create a nexus among domestic professional local currency bond markets in the region by facilitating intra-regional transactions through standardized bond and note issuance and investment processes. This report follows up on the proposal described in the Phase 2 Report of the ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum (Sub-Forum 1), published in April 2014, to provide procedures on how to implement AMBIF in the region. AMBIF is expected to facilitate intra-regional bond and note issuance and investment by creating common market practices; utilizing a common document for submission, the Single Submission Form; and highlighting transparent issuance procedures as documented in the Implementation Guidelines for each participating market. The report also contains a set of Frequently Asked Questions to provide interested parties, including issuers in the region, with an easy reference for their potential queries and concerns on the implementation of AMBIF.

The Singapore bond market has become one of the most developed open capital markets in Asia with over US$221 billion in total local currency bonds outstanding with an additional US$53 billion of bonds outstanding. The Singapore Bond Market Guide is an outcome of the support and contributions of ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum members and experts, particularly from Singapore, while the ASEAN+3 Bond Market Guide as a whole is a comprehensive explanation of the region’s bond markets. This report should be recognized as a collective good to support bond market development among ASEAN+3 members.

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.

This report, consisting of three parts, is the result of Phase 2 studies of the ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum Sub-Forum 2 and enhances the findings of Phase 1. Part 1 provides an overview of ASEAN+3 bond markets and their infrastructure. Part 2 reports on the bond market-related issues of economies in the region. Part 3 contains diagrams of ASEAN+3 bond market infrastructures, domestic bond transaction flows, and cross-border bond transaction flows.

The ASEAN+3 Bond Market Guide series provides country-specific information on the investment climate, rules, laws, opportunities, and characteristics of local bond markets in Asia and the Pacific. It aims to help bond market issuers, investors, and financial intermediaries understand the local context and encourage greater participation in the region’s rapidly developing bond markets. This edition focuses on the Inter-Bank Bond Market in the People’s Republic of China, which is one of the country’s most important bond markets and one of only two that are accessible to foreign investment.

ASEAN+3 Bond Market Guide provides an in-depth look at the region's bond markets. It explains the markets' legal and regulatory frameworks, specific characteristics, trading and transactions (including settlement systems), and other relevant information and data. The Bond Market Guide 2017 for the Lao People's Democratic Republic is the result of comments and contributions from ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum members and experts, particularly in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. A highlight of this guide is an update on the development of the country's securities market.