ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the study of the bond markets of developing East Asia which has several objectives. The first is to provide as much relevant information as possible on the bond markets in these countries, including details on the main participants, types of bonds issued, size of the markets, and methods of operation. The second objective is to discover what lessons can be learned from an examination of these bond markets. The book covers eight of the major East Asian developing countries, most of which have bond markets of a respectable size. It makes cross-country comparisons of the bond markets in the eight countries and suggests Hong Kong as a possible role model for the other countries in establishing an active and viable secondary market in government bonds.
