Asian banks divided over Basel II, says Financial Insights

Some of the significant Asian economies will only use the new Basel Accord as a reference point, as they embark on their own ways of improving capital regulatory systems, according to Financial Insights, a financial business advisory service firm based in Framingham, Massachusetts.

In its report, Basel Chapter II: Banking Revolution for Asian Banks, released last December, Financial Insights found that some Asian countries, including China, The Philippines and Malaysia, do not intend to implement Basel II, although they will use it as reference in strengthening their local regulatory systems.

The study, which evaluated the Asian bank's preparedness for Basel II, categorised the Asian countries into four different levels. Top banks are adopting the essentials of the risk