Fiscal Frameworks And Financial Systems In East Asia

The study of financial frameworks focuses on corporate finance and analyzes the relationship between financing patterns and the level of development of securities markets and financial liberalization in the region.

Financial systems in the East Asian region are commanding worldwide attention. Japan's financial sector, with an ailing banking system in the aftermath of a bubble economy, is undergoing a "Big Bang" deregulation, liberalization, and securitization. At the same time, the rehabilitation of Southeast Asian and Korean economies in the wake of the Asian financial crisis awaits restoration of their banking sectors. The region's bank-dominated and development finance-oriented financial systems are coming into friction with global capital markets that lack adequate architecture. In this volume, researchers from ten East Asian think- tanks analyse the financial systems in their respective economies. They survey the financial sector deregulation and liberalization that took place in the midst of economic booms and they evaluate the role of the financial systems in the region's current economic misfortunes. Together, the pieces in this volume lay the groundwork for understanding how financial systems in East Asia have evolved as the economies have grown more complex and capital markets have globalized, and how these systems must adapt to move beyond today's crisis to serve the region's economies in the future.

An IMF paper reviewing the policy responses of Indonesia, Korea and Thailand to the 1997 Asian crisis, comparing the actions of these three countries with those of Malaysia and the Philippines. Although all judgements are still tentative, important lessons can be learned from the experiences of the last two years.

The establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at end-2015 has brought into sharp focus the issue of financial and economic integration in the region. This paper takes stock of ASEAN’s financial integration and prospects. ASEAN integration could accelerate in the years ahead; it will likely be a safe, gradual process consistent with the “ASEAN way” of consensus decision-making. Properly phased and sequenced, closer financial integration has the potential to help increase real incomes and accelerate real convergence within ASEAN and narrow the region’s gap with advanced Asia. Realizing the promise of financial integration will require ASEAN countries to make long-term investments in financial infrastructure. Policymakers can draw on the experience of their more advanced peers and of other regions. Gradualism and safeguards should not be excuses for inaction or financial protectionism. Reliance on flexible policy frameworks and a strengthened and tested regional financial safety net should be part of the agenda. Closer engagement with the Fund could also help.

The HSBC Bank Canada Papers on Asia series was begun in 1995 to examine Canada's relationship with the East Asian economies and to reduce the information barriers resulting from distance and unfamiliarity in these markets. Six years on from the inception of the series, much has changed in the international environment. The Asian economies suffered a significant crash, a rapid rebound, only to slow again in 2000-2001. This, the sixth and last volume in the series, looks to the future. This new volume focuses on key issues facing the region that corporations and governments should understand, including East Asian regionalization initiatives, obstacles to continued rapid growth in China, aging and pension reform, and the changing security environment. In addition, the Canadian business performance six years on is re-evaluated. With contributions from leading scholars intimately familiar with both Canadian and East Asian business practices, these volumes are an indispensable resource for corporations and governments looking to expand their business into East Asia, or for anyone who wants to better understand Canada's complex relationship with the Asian countries.

This volume examines how foreign firms, which are entering or operating in various Asian countries, have responded to the obstacles and opportunities which were identified in the preceding volumes of this series. There is an overview chapter and seven case studies of Canadian and American-based businesses. The studies cover a variety of sectors such as telecommunication, finance, and engineering services. The authors highlight a range of issues that have to be resolved when operating in particular countries. The outcome of the bargaining process on entry into another country, for example, or the approach taken in personnel relations, can be critical to success or failure.

Asian economies strengthened their monetary and currency management after the Asian financial crisis of 19971998, and came through the global financial crisis of 20072009 relatively well. Nevertheless, the recent global crisis has presented new challenges. This book develops recommendations for monetary and currency policy in Asian economies aimed at promoting macroeconomic and financial stability in an environment of global economic shocks and volatile capital flows. Monetary and Currency Policy Management in Asia draws lessons from crises and makes concrete macroeconomic policy recommendations aimed at minimizing the impacts of an economic and financial downturn, and setting the stage for an early return to sustainable growth. The focus is on short-term measures related to the cycle. The three main areas addressed are: monetary policy measures, both conventional and unconventional, to achieve both macroeconomic and financial stability; exchange rate policy and foreign exchange reserve management, including the potential for regional cooperation to stabilize currency movements; and ways to ease the constraints on policy resulting from the so-called 'impossible trinity' of fixed exchange rates, open capital accounts and independent monetary policy. This is one of the first books since the global financial crisis to specifically and comprehensively address the implications of the crisis for monetary and currency policy in emerging market economies, especially in Asia. Presenting a broad menu of policy options for financial reform and regulation, the book will be of great interest to finance experts and policymakers in the region as well as academics and researchers of financial and Asian economics as well as economic development.

This study analyzes the supply side of the international financial architecture. It asks the question: How can G-10 capital suppliers reform their system to contribute to a safer world of capital mobility? It contains coverage of capital flows and the benefits of cross-border capital flows.