Beijing, Mar 26, 2007 (ABN Newswire) - About 40 securities regulators from around Asia and the Pacific are gathering here to share knowledge about collective investment schemes and hedge funds.

Many financial markets are turning to these investment systems, and their number, size and complexity is increasing. The securities regulators are gathering to learn about the associated regulatory.

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

This regional seminar on Collective Investment Schemes/Hedge Funds in Beijing from March 26-30, 2007 is part of the APEC Financial Regulators Training Initiative. The regulators are coming from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand and the People's Republic of China.

Training during the seminar will be conducted by experts from the United States Securities Commission, Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Cantor Fitzgerald International / BGC Partners, L.P.

"On behalf of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, I welcome the opportunity to stage this important training program," said Dr. Sun Jie, Director General of the commission's Department of Fund Supervision. "It presents a forum for regulators to discuss and learn from the expertise of developed countries like the United States and Australia, which have been developing their regulatory framework for Collective Investment Schemes over many years."

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's Office of Regional Economic Integration has been acting as secretariat for the initiative and has supported its training activities. The initiative has been successful in achieving its objectives of strengthening content and management of national training programs, and developing regional programs for junior and mid-level supervisors and regulators. Since 2001, the initiative has trained more than 1,680 participants from APEC economies in 36 regional and 13 national courses.