Fund managers look beyond Hong Kong as instability bites

Contingency planning for Hong Kong protests could turn into structural shift for asset management industry

The disruption caused by months of public protests in Hong Kong has spread to the boardrooms of fund managers. Global investment firms looking to expand their Asia business are weighing up whether Hong Kong is still the prime beachhead for a strategic push into the region, while investors already based in the territory are mulling whether to ship out.

Alternative locations such as Singapore, Shanghai or Shenzhen have been mooted.

In a sign that Hong Kong’s regulator is nervous about a