Standing strong: China has continued to grow as a financial centre despite the global economic turbulence
The growth of the Asian banking sector continued in 2008, with China building on its dominance in the region, dwarfing India's more modest growth path, while South Korean banks' share declined. Writer Geraldine Lambe
The governor of Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas talks about how the central bank took swift and effective action to ensure that the Philippines was not badly hit by the credit crunch. But he warns that exiting a liberal monetary policy stance may bring its own risks. Writer Michelle Price
The Philippines has managed to all but sidestep the global economic slump and its banking sector is in good shape, but broader structural changes in the Filipino economy will bring new challenges. Writer Michelle Price
Dominant state-owned Sberbank has not so far matched its entrenched status with market-leading service quality. The bank's head of strategy, Denis Bugrov, explains how he aims to change that. Writer Philip Alexander
Russian capital markets have taken longer than most to thaw in the wake of the credit crisis, but leading local investment banks are now getting the chance to put their new ownership structures to the test. Writer Philip Alexander
The credit crunch may delay Turkey's extensive plans to upgrade power supplies and road networks, but it has certainly not derailed them. Writer Philip Alexander
Turkish banks, cushioned by regulations implemented in the wake of the country's financial crisis of 2001, have been largely sheltered from the recent global crisis and the majority of those listed in The Banker's 2009 rankings posted double-digit profit on capital. Writer Geraldine Lambe
Despite the downturn, share prices on the Istanbul Stock Exchange are soaring on the strength of the country's banks, as global liquidity and optimism return. Writer Metin Demirsar
Turkey's government, led by prime minister Tayyip Erdogan, is exploring alternatives to an IMF loan to finance its budget deficit
Facing an exploding budget deficit and enormous domestic debts, the Turkish government continues to have a ravenous appetite for borrowing, but still wants to avoid funds from the IMF. Writer Metin Demirsar
After a five-month standstill following Lehman's collapse last September, activity in Japan's samurai bond market is beginning to pick up and is taking a new direction, breaking the taboo on non-sovereign issues. Writer Charles Smith
