The acquisition of Citi’s retail operations across several Asian markets will give two of Singapore’s biggest banks additional clout across the region. 

South Korea’s economy has bounced back strongly from the pandemic slump, thanks largely to its dominance of the semiconductor space. Yet with a presidential election on the horizon and further interest increases forecast, there is still some uncertainty as to future growth potential.

South Korea’s banks have managed to hold steady through Covid-19 and are now looking to the future of digital banking. Kimberley Long reports. 

Central banks across Asia are working together on real-time cross-border payments and central bank digital currency initiatives.

As financial inclusion has increased worldwide, one area has remained stubbornly difficult to crack: banking services for women in developing markets. Banks are now working on providing tailored services that address the issues keeping women out of the formal banking system. 

The Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on tourism and trade continues to be felt across Asia-Pacific, hitting the banking sectors' pre-tax profits in several economies. However, the region's banks have seen increases across Tier 1 capital and asset growth.

China’s economic expansion into Latin America has raised questions about the motivation behind such investments and the contractual terms.