
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

Operational Risk
BIS Paper Urges Supervisors to Adopt Risk Appetite Frameworks
06/05/2026
New paper argues that explicitly defining and managing supervisory risk can strengthen governance, culture, and effectiveness in financial authorities.

PEPs & Sanctions
China Activates Blocking Statute to Counter US Sanctions
06/05/2026
China's first use of its anti-sanctions law creates a direct legal conflict for global financial institutions caught between US and Chinese rules.

Emerging Prudential Risks
ASEAN+3 to Bolster Financial Safety Net Amid Rising Risks
05/05/2026
Ministers and governors have endorsed a roadmap for a paid-in capital structure for the CMIM and new work on cross-border digital payments.

Capital Adequacy
HKMA Proposes Capital Rule Changes for Basel Alignment, Stablecoins
05/05/2026
The proposed amendments aim to harmonise with international standards and provide clarity on the capital treatment for stablecoin issuers.

Payments & Settlements
CPMI Publishes Paper for Navigating ISO 20022 Migration Journey
05/05/2026
Although Swift has retired legacy MT payment messages, some market infrastructures have not yet fully adopted ISO 20022 for cross-border payments.

Payments & Settlements
China's CIPS Boom Driven by New Rules, Not Sanctions: Report
05/05/2026
Natixis report finds that a recent surge in transactions on China's cross-border payment system is due to new rules and broader currency use, not sanctions evasion.

PEPs & Sanctions
US Expands International Reach of Cuba Sanctions Programme
04/05/2026
New executive order authorises secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions and companies doing business with designated Cuban entities.

Structural Regulation
China's Legislature Progresses New Overarching Financial Laws
04/05/2026
China’s top legislature has confirmed plans to formulate both a Financial Law and a Financial Stability Law this year, creating a new overarching legal framework for the financial sector.

PEPs & Sanctions
US Sanctions China, Hong Kong Firms in Iran Oil Trade Crackdown
04/05/2026
The US targeted a Chinese oil terminal and numerous Hong Kong-based front companies, while issuing new warnings on sanctions evasion, digital assets, and maritime risks.

Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime
Sri Lanka Treasury Heist Probe Widens Amid Second Fraud, Official’s Death
04/05/2026
The USD 2.5 million cyber heist revealed deep-seated vulnerabilities and a second, similar fraud at another state entity.
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