Asia's 4 tigers have matured, but still burning bright

ASIA'S 4 early tiger economies of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong may have matured and been dethroned by China, but strategists say each continues to hold their own in world markets in the Year of the Tiger.

Instead of discounting them, investors ought to consider them carefully when screening the globe for opportunities, Martin Hennecke, head of Asia investment advisory and communications, St James's Place Wealth Management, told The Business Times.

"Firstly, China's economic success can both be a challenge but also a boon for the tigers, as the country's economy has grown to arguably the world's largest, when considering purchasing power parity based gross domestic product (GDP) rankings, certainly making it the key player in regional trade, further supported by the RCEP which has come into effect this year."