Free Trial

Reactions Copying and distributing are prohibited without permission of the publisher

EAIC preview: Meeting the challenge

03 November 2008

East Asia is being hailed as a land of opportunity for insurers. In the lead-up to this year's East Asian Insurance Congress, Karen Eeuwens asks some of its main speakers about the challenges the region faces and how insurers and reinsurers can respond.

Read more: eaic insurance asia



The industry's attention will be turning east in November in hot anticipation of the 24th East Asian Insurance Congress (EAIC). Since 1962, the biennial EAIC has been doing the rounds of East Asian hubs – including Tokyo, Manila, Bangkok, Seoul, and Jakarta – in an effort to bring together leading executives from the region. This year it will take place in Hong Kong for the first time since 1986.

Since the EAIC set out on its mission, east Asia's profile has changed dramatically. Asian economies are now booming and insurance penetration in the region is growing every year. Hong Kong is at the forefront of this trend with a life insurance penetration of 10.6%, the second-highest in the region after Taiwan.

Although Hong Kong is a territory of China – the biggest country and second-largest economy in the region after Japan – Agnes Choi, chairman of the EAIC's organising committee, says...


  • Philippines Earthquake Mw 6.7 06 Feb 2012 - On Monday, 6 February a magnitude Mw 6.7 (regional moment magnitude) earthquake ...
  • Queensland Floods 06 Feb 2012 - Monsoonal rains since mid-January have resulted in flooding in northeast Australia, affecting ...
  • Peru Earthquake Mw6.3 30 Jan 2012 - Updated 1 February. On Monday, 30 January a magnitude Mw6.3 (regional moment ...
For more catastrophe reports, data and news, click through to the RMS/Reactions Catastrophe Centre.

Poll

Catastrophe bond issuance was $4.3bn in 2011. How much new issuance will there be in 2012?

Less than $3bn
0%
$3bn-$4bn
50%
$4bn-$5bn
25%
$5bn-$6bn
12%
$6bn-$7bn
12%
More than $7bn
0%

Quote

If last year was the year of the cat, then this year could be the year of the debt crisis.

Mike Van Slooten, head of international market analysis at Aon Benfield