
Manesh Samtani is the Editor at Regulation Asia, where he leads the regional news desk from Hong Kong, directing coverage of critical regulatory developments impacting financial services across APAC. Manesh specialises in analysing how new rules and technologies are reshaping banking, capital markets, and the fight against financial crime, providing finance professionals, compliance leaders, and policymakers with the intelligence they need to navigate risk and understand the impact of regulatory change in the region. manesh@regulationasia.com

Sustainable Finance
APLMA Issues Guidance to Boost SME Access to Sustainability-Linked Loans
15/05/2026
New practice note provides lenders with actionable guidance on applying global sustainability-linked loan principles to smaller enterprises.

Tokenisation
Tokenised Collateral Could Unlock Billions, Transform Liquidity: Report
15/05/2026
New DTCC white paper outlines how tokenised assets and DLT can reduce liquidity buffers and capital requirements.

Trading & Investment
Pakistan Launches First-ever Panda Bond Issuance in Beijing
15/05/2026
The yuan-denominated issuance, part of a wider USD 1 billion programme, aims to diversify funding sources and reduce borrowing costs.

Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime
Special Economic Zones Are Fuelling Regional Cybercrime Industry: Report
15/05/2026
New policy report urges a strategic shift to targeting the financial enablers of industrial-scale scam operations in Southeast Asia.

Resolution & Recovery
ISDA, FIA Call for Clearer Safeguards in MAS Resolution Rules for Capital Market FMIs
14/05/2026
Industry bodies support Singapore’s proposed framework but seek explicit exclusion of initial margin haircutting and clearer triggers for resolution.

Rate Hikes Directly Increase Bank Credit Losses: BIS Study
14/05/2026
New paper quantifies the link between monetary policy and credit risk, offering a new ‘rule of thumb’ for supervisors.

Anti-Money Laundering
Clarity Needed in FATF R16 Guidance to Prevent De-Risking: RUSI Analyst
13/05/2026
Forthcoming guidance on the FATF’s revised Recommendation 16 must provide clear, practical rules to avoid harming financial inclusion.

BIS Chief Flags NBFI Risks, Calls for Cautious Reform
13/05/2026
Pablo Hernández de Cos highlighted growing fragilities in private credit and sovereign debt, while urging a careful approach to reviewing post-crisis rules and regulating stablecoins.

PEPs & Sanctions
Report Calls on US to Designate Hong Kong a ‘Money Laundering Concern’
12/05/2026
Report alleges Hong Kong is a key hub for Iranian sanctions evasion and calls for action against the city’s banking and crypto sectors.

Anti-Money Laundering
Good is No Longer Enough: FATF’s Core Message to Singapore
12/05/2026
The strength of Singapore’s AML framework was affirmed, but the SGD 3 billion case has moved the goalposts from compliance to effectiveness.
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