On the back of a brightening global outlook, government bond yields in major advanced economies rose between 1 June and 15 August, with the increase extending to emerging East Asia.

This publication reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

This issue of the Asia Bond Monitor includes two special discussion boxes. Box 1 discusses the potential benefits of the Bond Connect scheme, a significant effort to link the People’s Republic of China’s bond market to the rest of the world. Box 2 outlines a conceptual solution to cope with longevity risk in Asia.