Asia ETF News for the Past Year
Purchases of ETFs listed overseas by Korean retail investors have fluctuated during the first 11 months of 2025, with a notable spike in October and a decline in July
December 31, 2025-ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm renowned for its expertise in subscription research, consulting services, events, and ETF TV on global ETF industry trends, reported today that purchases of ETFs listed overseas by Korean retail investors have fluctuated during the first 11 months of 2025, with a notable spike in October and a decline in July.
Early months (January to April) showed steady growth, peaking in April; mid-year (June to August) experienced a decline in both purchase amount and ETF count; and October stood out with a surge in dollar amount despite fewer ETFs purchased, indicating a concentration in high-value ETFs.
In November, 25 of the top 50 overseas securities purchased by Korean retail investors were ETFs listed in the U.S. This marks an increase from 19 ETFs in October, as well as an increase from 21 ETFs in September, and 23 in August.
Starting in December, the Financial Supervisory Service FSS will require individual investors in Korea who wish to trade overseas-listed derivatives, leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or exchange-traded notes (ETNs) to complete mandatory pre-investment education and participate in simulated trading sessions. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted)
Highlights
Purchases have fluctuated throughout the first 11 months of 2025, with a notable spike in October and a decline in July.
Highest purchase amount: October 2025 at US$15,846 million (with 19 ETFs purchased).
Lowest purchase amount: July 2025 at US$7,489 million (with 23 ETFs purchased).
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Source: ETFGI
ChinaAMC launches Depository Receipts of two Chinese flagship ETFs in Thai exchange
December 29, 2025-Thai investors now can trade in real-time during local market hours using baht without overseas accounts, while also benefiting from capital gains tax exemptions.
Today, China Asset Management Co. (ChinaAMC) partnered with Thai securities firm InnovestX Securities to list Depository Receipts (DRs) linked to the "ChinaAMC CSI 300 ETF" and the "ChinaAMC STAR 50 ETF" on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), enabling Thai investors access to a basket of China's core assets and hard-core technologies.
This marks the first time that ETFs listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) have entered an overseas market through a DR structure, and represents another milestone in deepening capital market cooperation between China and Thailand under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The simultaneous listing of these two flagship ETFs in Thailand also fully reflects the local market's strong interest in allocating to high-quality Chinese assets and their confidence toward growth prospects of China's technology sector.
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Source: ChinaAMC
China Still Dominates Critical Mineral Refining in 2030
December 23, 2025--China is projected to have the largest share (60%) of global refined critical mineral supply by 2030.
Nickel is the only mineral which another country, Indonesia (71%), is expected to have a larger market share than China (6%).
The energy transition hinges on the availability of refined critical minerals. Where will they come from in the future?
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Source: visualcapitalist.com
UTI Investments Partners with FTSE Russell to Transition its Sovereign Bond ETF Benchmark
December 17, 2025-UTI Investments announced that its Sovereign Bond ETF (Bloomberg Ticker: UIGB NA Equity) has transitioned its benchmark from Nifty India Government Fully Accessible Route (FAR) Select 7 Bonds Index (USD) to the FTSE Indian Government Bond FAR Index (Bloomberg Ticker: CFIIFARU).
The change is part of UTI Investments' collaboration with FTSE Russell, the global index provider, to enhance visibility and align with globally recognized benchmarks.
The ETF will continue to provide investors access to Indian government bonds, while now reflecting the performance of the FTSE Indian Government Bond FAR Index, a transparent, rules-based index widely followed by international investors. The FTSE index offers broader yield-curve exposure, covering short- to long-dated maturities, providing a more balanced and diversified portfolio profile, improving stability across interest-rate cycles, and reducing concentration risk while more accurately reflecting the Indian sovereign bond market.
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Source: UTI Investments
Indonesia's Economy Maintains Resilience Amid Global Uncertainty
December 17, 2025--Digital Transformation Key to Future Growth
Indonesia's economy grew 5.0% in the first nine months of 2025, and growth is projected to remain around this level through 2026 and 2027, supported by strong investment and net exports.
According to the World Bank's Indonesia Economic Prospects (IEP) December 2025 report, titled "Digital Foundations for Growth" released on December 16, 2025, the country's monetary and fiscal policies have become more accommodative, with stimulus measures boosting private credit and consumption while maintaining fiscal discipline and moderate inflation.
However, despite macroeconomic stability, labor market challenges persist, impacting household welfare.
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Source: worldbank.org
Over 60% of Chinese listed companies to maintain or spend more on decarbonization, a report finds
December 16, 2025-Despite economic headwinds, over 60% of Chinese onshore listed companies intend to maintain or raise their input in decarbonization, according to the latest ESG white paper released by China Asset Management Co.(ChinaAMC).
A quarter of the surveyed companies plan to increase investments by 10% or more, while 38% will maintain their current spending level, according to White Paper on ESG Investing Development and Innovation in China 2025.
By industry, the raw materials sector showed the strongest commitment, with 52% of companies plan to up their ante. Notably, all coal industry enterprises plan to increase investments by over 10%. This is followed by the consumer discretionary sector, where 39% of companies exhibit a strong willingness to invest.
The white paper also found a subtle shift in the underlying logic of ESG development among Chinese companies.
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Source: ChinaAMC
China's growth set to slow to 4.5% in 2026, raising pressure on policymakers: Reuters poll
January 15, 2025--China Q4 GDP forecast to grow 4.4% y/y, vs 4.8% in Q3
GDP growth expected at 4.5% in 2026, 4.5% in 2027
Inflation forecast 0.7% in 2026, 1.0% in 2027
Central bank expected to cut key policy rate by 10 bps in Q1
China Q4 GDP forecast to grow 4.4% y/y, vs 4.8% in Q3
GDP growth expected at 4.5% in 2026, 4.5% in 2027
Inflation forecast 0.7% in 2026, 1.0% in 2027
Central bank expected to cut key policy rate by 10 bps in Q1
China's economic growth is likely to slow to 4.5% in 2026 and maintain the same pace in 2027, a Reuters poll showed, piling pressure for more stimulus as policymakers look to address deep structural vulnerabilities to underpin the nation's longer-term health.
Gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to have grown 4.9% in 2025 - largely meeting the government's annual growth target of around 5%, helped by strong exports and policy support, according to the median forecasts of 73 economists polled by Reuters.
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Source: reuters.com
Bruegel-China economic database update
December 12, 2025-The monthly update of the China Economic Database is out now.
This month, we'd like to highlight a surge in Chinese automobile exports. In October 2025, China exported 636 thousand automobiles of all types, quickly recovering from a downturn following the EU's announcement of anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in mid-2024.
Following months of investigation, the EU concluded that Chinese subsidies to the EV sector were market distorting, prompting of tariffs. Later, China's Ministry of Commerce concluded that the EU's use of foreign subsidy regulations against China had cost their businesses well over 2 billion EUR.
After Chinese auto exports peaked in August 2024, they fell by nearly 49 percent over the course of six months, reaching their lowest point in February 2025
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Source: bruegel.org
Advancing Reforms Can Enhance Prospects-China Economic Update
December 11, 2025--China's economy maintained solid momentum in the third quarter of 2025, bringing year-to-date GDP growth to 5.2% year on year. Accommodative fiscal and monetary policies supported domestic consumption and investment, while demand from developing countries sustained exports.
However, households remained cautious in their spending amid a soft labor market and declining home prices.
Investment growth moderated in the third quarter, owing to the property sector adjustment and slower manufacturing and infrastructure investment due to profit pressures and tighter local government finances.
According to the World Bank's latest China Economic Update, Advancing Reforms, Enhancing Prospects, growth is estimated at 4.9% in 2025 and projected at 4.4% in 2026, as existing headwinds are expected to persist. Recent fiscal measures, alongside some stability in global trade policy, are expected to support investment and exports.
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Source: worldbank.org
An Income Strategy for Volatile Markets-CSOP HSCEI Covered Call Active ETF (2802.HK) Debuts on HKEX Tomorrow
December 10, 2025-CSOP HSCEI Covered Call Active ETF (2802.HK) will be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 11 December 2025. 2802.HK seeks to achieve its investment objective by primarily (i) investing in constituent equity securities in the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI); and (ii) selling call options on HSCEI to receive call options premium.
2802.HK has a listing price of 8.8 HKD per unit, trading unit of 100, and management fee of 0.99%. An unlisted class is also available to investors.
CSOP HSCEI Covered Call Active ETF (2802.HK) targets monthly distributions generated by dividends from the underlying stocks on top of option premiums, making it appealing to income-focused investors seeking higher yields (Dividend rate is not guaranteed and may be paid out of the capital)[1].
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Source: CSOP Asset Management
