Japan's plan to give authorities the power to order foreign investors to retroactively divest acquisitions is aimed at sheltering major firms and supply chains, though it is unlikely to curtail increased M&A interest, experts say, Reuters reported. Japan on Wednesday proposed amendments to its foreign investment screening law that would grant authorities an option to force foreigners to sell investments deemed to pose risks to national or economic security.

South Korea plans to open its markets to spot bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) this year, part of a broader digital asset push led by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) under its 2026 economic growth strategy, CoinDesk.com reported. Until now, cryptocurrencies like bitcoin weren’t legally recognized as valid underlying assets for ETFs, blocking the creation of these products in the country. The FSC appears to be following the lead of other jurisdictions, including the U.S. and Hong Kong, where spot bitcoin ETFs have seen significant success.

China’s market regulator has warned several producers of polysilicon, a key material in solar panels, about monopoly risks stemming from their consolidation efforts in the oversupplied sector, Bloomberg News reported. Six companies including Tongwei Co. and GCL Technology Holdings, along with the industry association, were summoned by the State Administration for Market Regulation, local media outlet Securities Times reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. The agency warned them not to coordinate on production capacity, sales volume and prices.

India's income tax authorities have joined the Reserve Bank of India in raising concerns over virtual digital assets, citing enforcement challenges that threaten the government's ability to track and tax crypto transactions as the Union Budget approaches, Decrypt.com reported. On Wednesday, Tax authorities presented their concerns about cryptocurrency and other virtual digital assets to the parliamentary standing committee of finance, according to a Times of India report.

The Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India has launched a set of revised electronic forms for the liquidation process to reduce the compliance burden on insolvency professionals and improve the quality of regulatory filings, the Economic Times of India reported. The move came after the Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) had notified amendments on January 2 to the IBBI (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016, which mandate that insolvency professionals file the forms, along with enclosures, on the regulator's electronic platform within prescribed timelines.

Bankers expect another blockbuster year for sales of yen-denominated corporate debt from Japanese companies following the record tally of bonds issued in 2025. Rising yields and lower volatility compared with government bonds saw investors snap up ¥16.5 trillion ($105 billion) of local-currency corporate debt in the 12 months through December, the most in records back to 1999, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Australian consumer prices rose by less than forecast in November, data showed on Wednesday, but core inflation showed enough stickiness that investors still saw a risk interest rates would have to be hiked as early as next month, Reuters reported. The Australian dollar initially slipped but was back to where it was, at $0.6734. Three-year government bond futures rose 5 ticks before giving up gains to be slightly lower on the day at 95.78. Investors still see a 33% risk that the Reserve Bank of Australia will be forced to hike rates again in February.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow UV Asset Reconstruction Co to initiate insolvency proceedings against Electrosteel Castings Ltd (ECL), while upholding a 2024 ruling of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), the Economic Times of India reported. The issue before the apex court was whether approval of the resolution plan of Electrosteel Steels Ltd (ESL) resulted in extinguishment of the entire debt, thereby barring any claim against ECL as a security provider or erstwhile promoter.