May 21, 2026 | AERI · Hong Kong Branch · Think Tank · Institutional Development
Asia Economic Research Institute (AERI)
Hong Kong, May 21, 2026 — The Asia Economics Research Institute (AERI) today announced that its Hong Kong branch has been officially approved and registered (Registration No. 79999410-001-03-26-7), and AERI Publishing Limited has been concurrently established for journal and book publishing. This strategic milestone marks an important step forward in governance and publishing capability for this international think tank with over two decades of dedication to Asia.
The history of the Asia Economics Research Institute is a narrative of Asian intellectual endeavor spanning over a quarter of a century.
In the late twentieth century, Asia was undergoing profound and complex structural transformation. The impact of the 1997 Asian financial crisis not only exposed deep-seated vulnerabilities in the regional economic system but also awakened strategic thinking about regional cooperation mechanisms in an unprecedented manner. After the crisis, a fundamental consensus gradually emerged: the prosperity and stability of Asia could no longer be sustained by the strength of any single economy alone. Establishing cross-regional policy coordination and intellectual synergy mechanisms was no longer a choice but a necessity.
At that time, a group of Chinese diaspora representatives, social activists, and industry leaders who had long been active in Asian public affairs deeply recognized the critical value of independent research for regional development decision-making. They realized that among the existing international think tank landscape, independent research institutions that could truly ground themselves in Asian local experience, incorporate Chinese community perspectives, and remain free from the influence of any single national interest were still scarce. It was against this backdrop and in response to these practical needs that a regional development research collaborative network with the mission of "serving Asian development and contributing independent intellectual insight" naturally grew and gradually took shape through cross-border exchange and collaboration.
In 2004, the Institute was officially registered in Singapore, marking a crucial step from a loose transnational exchange platform to an institutionalized research system. As an Asia-Pacific financial and knowledge hub, Singapore provided mature institutional soil and resource networks for the Institute's early development, enabling research forces scattered across various economies to be aggregated and coordinated through a formal organizational node. Over the following two decades, the Institute progressively expanded its research branches and cooperation networks, establishing offices in key Asia-Pacific and Middle East locations including Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Mumbai, and Miri, Sarawak. It built multi-layered collaborative relationships with academic institutions, policy research organizations, and industry think tanks across East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania, consistently producing research outcomes with policy reference value in core areas including macroeconomics, regional trade, industrial upgrading, and social governance. Through years of development, the Institute has formed an independent governance structure and stable research system, possessing the organizational capacity and resource base to continuously conduct high-quality research in complex international environments.
In 2026, the Institute's Hong Kong branch was officially approved and registered under the name Asia Economics Research Institute (Registration No. 79999410-001-03-26-7).
As one of the world's leading international financial centers and freest economies, Hong Kong offers a mature common law system, guaranteed free flow of information, convergence of international organizations and diverse capital, and a unique geographic position backing the Chinese mainland while facing the world. These advantages provide an exceptional institutional environment for the Institute's research and operations. The official approval of the Hong Kong branch means the Institute now possesses a legally protected formal institution in the Greater China region, establishing a solid institutional foundation for deepening research on mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, expanding cooperation with mainland academic institutions and policy organizations, and advancing economic research across China-Malaysia and broader regional contexts.
On the same day, the Institute announced the official launch of its new websites — the international site www.aeri.asia and the Chinese news portal www.aeri.org.cn — while the previous official website has been decommissioned. The new sites feature a trilingual (Chinese, English, Malay) content system covering all of the Institute's research outcomes and investment guides, providing a more professional and efficient information platform for researchers, investors, and policymakers worldwide.
The Institute operates under a governance structure of a Board of Directors-led presidential accountability system, with clear governance architecture and well-defined responsibilities. The Institute is not affiliated with any national government or single interest entity. Its research outcomes and policy recommendations are always evidence-based, academically grounded, and oriented toward the overall well-being of the Asian region.
Concurrently, the Institute has legally established AERI Publishing Limited, which is subordinate to the Asia Economics Research Institute and responsible for journal and book publishing, operating under the leadership of the Institute's Board of Directors.
The specialized separation of publishing operations means the Institute now possesses independent, professional platforms at both ends of academic research and knowledge dissemination. On one hand, the Institute itself focuses on policy research and intellectual output; on the other hand, the publishing company concentrates on the publication, dissemination, and brand operation of academic outcomes, forming a complete value chain of "research — publication — dissemination." This structural arrangement ensures both the professionalism and independence of academic publishing and communication work, while maintaining a clear lineage of unified governance across the entire Institute.
Standing at a new historical starting point, the Asia Economics Research Institute will continue to uphold its founding mission of "serving Asian development and contributing independent intellectual insight," with a firmer independent stance, broader international vision, and more solid research capabilities, continuously promoting the high-quality development of the Asian regional economy.
The Institute will closely monitor frontier issues including the reshaping of the global economic landscape, reconstruction of supply chain resilience, green transition, and digital economy development, striving to provide forward-looking and constructive intellectual contributions amid changing circumstances. Simultaneously, it will continuously improve its governance system and academic evaluation mechanisms, strengthen independence and professionalism, and provide an Asian model for global think tank governance.
From the emergence of collaborative networks in the late twentieth century, to the rooting of the Singapore headquarters, from the official approval of the Hong Kong branch, to the professionalization of publishing operations — each step is the natural continuation and logical deepening of the previous one. This path continues to extend, and the best research is always on the road.
The Asia Economics Research Institute (AERI) is an international think tank focused on Asian regional economic and social development research. Officially registered in Singapore in 2004, the Institute is headquartered in Singapore. Originating from a regional development research collaborative network in the late twentieth century, the Institute has accumulated over two decades of deep engagement, with branch offices in key Asia-Pacific and Middle East locations including Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Mumbai, and Miri. In 2026, the Hong Kong branch was officially approved and registered (registered name: Asia Economics Research Institute, Registration No. 79999410-001-03-26-7), and AERI Publishing Limited was concurrently established for journal and book publishing. The new websites www.aeri.asia and www.aeri.org.cn have been simultaneously launched, replacing the previous official website. The Institute is not affiliated with any national government or single interest entity.
Website: www.aeri.asia | www.aeri.org.cn
Contact: chairman@aeri.org.cn
Media Contact: chairman@aeri.org.cn
The Asia Economic Research Institute (AERI) is a think tank dedicated to regional economic research and cooperation in Asia. Since its establishment, the Institute has made promoting sustainable Asian economic development and facilitating regional economic integration its core mission, providing intellectual support and decision-making references for governments, enterprises, and international organizations through high-quality economic research, policy analysis, and academic exchange activities.