Banking in Asia: The End of Entitlement The late 1990s has seen a turning point in Asian banking. The golden days of easy money and booming profits have come to an abrupt end. What was effectively the age of entitlement in Asia banking is over, and a new era is about to begin. Asia's new banking environment will see a revamped financial industry requiring fresh formulas for success, resulting in a new competitive balance among domestic and global players. This remarkably detailed analysis, drawing on the authors' years of work with leading local and international commercial and investment banks in the region, highlights the long–term challenges, opportunities, and changes which will shape Asian banking well into the first decade of the 21st century. The 21st century is often positioned as "the Pacific Century". Without an effective and efficient banking industry in Asia, it will be no such thing. Covering major businesses and banking markets in Asia, highlights include: ∗ Corporate Banking: Big Profits Among the Risks ∗ Investment Banking: No Escape from Global Trends ∗ Trading in Asia: Back to the Basics ∗ Private Banking: A Miracle for a Few ∗ Japan: Modernizing the System, Mobilizing the Wealth ∗ China: Sustaining a Careful Balance For anyone involved in the future of Asian banking, this should be a compulsory read.