Member Views

US Treasury’s IMF Worldview:  Multilateralism, More Macroeconomics, Domestic Realities

19th St. and the rest of the world may not be fully pleased*

US must strengthen IMF at February G20 meeting

G20 finance ministers and central bank governors gather on 17-18 February for their first meeting of the year under the Indonesian presidency. Amid high-profile topics including global macro discussions about inflation, key issues beneath the surface could challenge the International Monetary Fund’s global leadership role.

US Calls for IMF Quota Reform to Support Vulnerable Nations

BWC member Hung Tran in Bloomberg:

"The move underscores US efforts to use the Washington-based institutions to counter China’s influence..."

“'This is... effort by the Biden administration to get traction, influence and friends in the Global South...'”

Unpacking China’s 2024 growth target and economic agenda

BWC is pleased to Member Spotlight a recent article by Hung Tran featured in the Atlantic Council. Hung provides an analysis of Premier Li Quang's Government Work Report presented at the fourteenth National People’s Congress (NPC) in China, outlining key economic targets and priorities set for 2024.

United Overseas Bank

BWC welcomes new organizational member United Overseas Bank, the third largest bank in Southeast Asia. UOB provides commercial, corporate, and personal banking services; private banking and asset management services; and corporate finance, venture capital, investment, and insurance services.

They are headquartered in Singapore and operate throughout nineteen countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Unintended Impact of LIBOR-SOFR Transition on Credit Markets and Economic Activity

According to Samim Ghamami of BWC member SOFR Academy, credit market stress has macroeconomic consequences. In this SOFR Academy Research Note, Ghamami shows that LIBOR-SOFR transition might worsen these macroeconomic consequences.

Understanding the Growing Use of Local Currencies in Cross-Border Payments

BWC member Hung Tran writes that "bilateral cross-border arrangements do not constitute a threat to the premier position of the USD..." nevertheless they create "substantial costs in terms of lost economic efficiency and risks to financial stability..."

Under the western sky: the crypto frontier

Carolyn Wilkins talks about cryptoassets and the ‘financial ecosystem’ they are a part of. She looks at the risks and opportunities decentralised finance may bring and the regulatory response to these.

Ukraine conflict cripples G20 but unifies G7

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine crystallises key shifts underway in global governance. Among others, it will cripple the G20 and elevate the G7.

UBS Names Colm Kelleher to Take Chairman Role, Succeeding Weber

UBS Group AG nominated former Morgan Stanley President Colm Kelleher as its next chairman, tapping an executive with broad banking and wealth experience to help oversee the firm’s pivot towards digital.