China
China investment banking fees rise even as M&A deals crater 60%
China investment banking fees rise even as M&A deals crater 60%
Targeted M&A activity was led by China, with $54b in deals in Q1 2026.
Chinese banks mask capital weakness with government injections
One-off government support does not address banks’ lower profitability and asset quality issues.
Alipay debuts AI agent interface “Ah Bao” in China
Users only need to speak to Ah Bao, pick a service listed, and pay for it without switching apps or pages.
Chinese banks pivot to state and green loans as consumer lending slows
Government exposure made up 16% of banks’ total assets as of April 2026.
UOB appoints Adaline Zheng as China CEO
South Korea country manager George Tung will take over as Hong Kong branch CEO.
TenPay Global lets foreigners send remittances to China via WeChat
TenPay’s cross-border remittance platform has over 60 partners globally.
Standard Chartered completes first QFI China gov’t bond futures trade
It is the only foreign bank amongst the initial six banks allowed to participate in CGB futures.
China new yuan loans shrink $1.47b in April as credit demand stalls
Loans remained concentrated on policy-supported sectors, according to Fitch Ratings.
China bank margins to recover as rate cuts pause but NPLs linger
Retail loan NPLs are yet to peak, said UOB Kay Hian.
How will China’s bank restructuring law reshape the industry?
Stronger lenders may acquire stakes in weaker financial institutions.
Ping An Bank profit rises 3% to $2.12b in Q1
Retail assets under management rose 1.2% during the quarter, said Ping An.
Alipay’s new payment system lets AI agents transact with businesses and OPCs
New tool enables agent-based transactions, following Alipay AI Pay rollout in 2025.
How China wallets crush cards in 2025 payments race
Alipay reached 85% of surveyed users whilst WeChat Pay stood at 73%.
China lending misses expectations on weaker corporate and household demand
Geopolitical tensions are adding to uncertainty, said BofA Global Research.
Chinese banks grow earnings 2.3% in 2025 as margin pressures ease
State-owned enterprises outperformed joint stock banks in revenue, net profit, and fee income growth.
Chinese banks report weak profit amidst mixed margin trends
Gross loan growth was in the single digits, same as fee income.
HSBC names new mainland China wealth heads
The bank saw wealth invested assets rise 37% in 2025.
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Inside Longbridge Securities (Singapore)’s win at the Asian Banking & Finance Fintech Awards 2026
Gavin Chia on how AI is making institutional-grade investing more accessible to everyday investors.
Commentary
APAC has mastered domestic payments. The next challenge is connecting them.
Why fragmented communications are becoming a hidden governance risk for Asia Pacific banks
From automation to agency: Asia’s wealth leaders can reinvent, not just streamline
Singapore aced its FATF evaluation — now comes the hard part
Are Asia’s digital banks prepared for the stablecoin era?
Why APAC is building home-currency stablecoins
Why Southeast Asian wealth managers must design the business before buying the technology
Why trust in Asian banking increasingly gets built off the record
Hong Kong cleared stablecoins for take-off. Getting them to work across Asia is the hard part