Book Description

'Filled with fresh observations from the global financial crisis, this book provides a blueprint for making Asia's financial systems safe. With contributions from experts in several countries, it is both comprehensive and rigorous. It will be invaluable to policy makers and students of finance everywhere, but its unique Asian perspective provides special insight into the systems that managed to ride out the global crisis but absent further reform might set the stage for another one. The book's analysis and recommendations deserve urgent policy attention.' Peter Petri, Brandeis University, US 'What are the lessons of the global financial crisis of 20072009 for Asia? This is a key issue for Asia today. On one hand, some observers argue that following the Asian financial crisis in 199798, most Asian developing countries built up strong mechanisms to guarantee financial stability. But the recent financial shocks across America and Europe show that even the best financial systems have key weaknesses. This book is a valuable guide for Asian financial policy-makers of the road ahead.' Peter McCawley, Australian National University In light of the experience of the global financial crisis, this book develops concrete recommendations for financial sector reform and regulation in Asian economies aimed at preventing the recurrence of systemic financial crises, improving the ability to manage and resolve crises, managing capital flows, and promoting the development of Asian bond markets. The focus of the book is on longer-term structural measures. It explores areas such as the scope for regional monitoring and cooperation; deepening and integration of Asian bond and money markets; liberalization/regulation of capital flows; issues related to macroprudential oversight, regulatory structure and cooperation; as well as role of state intervention in crisis resolution in the financial sector. The need for and impacts of regulations on innovative financial products and specific investor groups such as hedge funds; ways to reduce systemic risk of pro-cyclicality of regulation; and ways to improve the infrastructure and regulatory environment for local currency bond markets, are also examined in depth. The book will appeal to public and private finance experts, policy and decisions makers in governments and banks, think-tanks, and students in graduate courses related to financial and economic development.