The Emerging Asian Bond Market

Book excerpt: Provides a comprehensive survey of the East Asian bond markets, identifies best practices for fostering their development, and presents a broad agenda for further reforms. East Asia's spectacular economic performance over the past several decades has been marked by macroeconomic stability, consistent growth, low inflation, the lowering of trade barriers, and an overall improvement in living standards. The region now has a well developed banking system and boasts four of the top 20 stock markets in the world. Its bond markets, however, are relatively small and at an early stage of development. This report provides a comprehensive survey of the East Asian bond markets, identifies best practices for fostering their development, and presents a broad agenda of reforms for their further development. The report, which is based on studies of bond markets in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, finds great diversity among those markets. It was presented at the Emerging Asian Bond Market Conference, co-sponsored by the World Bank and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and held in Hong Kong, June 26-27, 1995. It is believed that with the proper institutional prerequisites in place, the markets will grow very rapidly and become a leading source of financing for the region. "The [study] and this conference mark the World Bank's increasing support and participation in the development of bond markets in the region." --Joseph Yam, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Monetary Authority