About 40 securities regulators from around Asia and the Pacific met last week to discuss hedge funds.

The regional seminar on Collective Investment Schemes/Hedge Funds took place in Beijing on the 27th through the 30th as part of the APEC Financial Regulators Training Initiative. The regulators came from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand and the People's Republic of China.

Min Tang, Deputy Country Director and Chief Economist for ADB's office in Beijing said "It is important to strengthen financial regulation in the region through these cost-effective programs for bank supervisors and securities regulators."

In May 1998, the APEC Finance Ministers Meeting endorsed the establishment of the APEC Financial Regulators Training Initiative to enhance training efforts for national and regional financial regulators within Asia.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable economic growth, social development, and good governance. Established in 1966, it is owned by 64 members - 46 from the region. In 2005, it approved loans and grants for projects totaling $6.95 billion, and technical assistance amounting to $198.8 million.