Joseph Yam: Asian finance (Central Bank Articles and Speeches)

I am delighted to have been invited to speak here at the International Centre for Banking and Monetary Studies in Geneva. I understand that you have in the past had many lectures from central bankers from Europe and the United States, but no one yet from Asia. I therefore feel particularly honoured to be the first Asian central banker to speak to you. This is timely, since banking and monetary developments in Asia have been receiving increasing international attention, particularly after the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98. I realise, of course, that monetary union in Europe must have been the monetary event of the past decade, in terms of occupying the time of academics and practitioners in the field, particularly in Europe. It has also had a large impact in the financial landscape of other economies, as I am sure the many members of the Swiss financial community that are here today would agree.