The Tokyo government has embarked on a discreet bid to woo hedge funds away from crisis-hit Hong Kong, dispatching a delegation to the city this week on a 48-hour mission to persuade money managers to relocate to the Japanese capital.
Government officials have organised a flurry of meetings between finance executives from Japan and dozens of Hong Kong hedge funds in an effort that has the unofficial but explicit blessing of Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, according to people familiar with the lobbying push.
Wary of being seen as exploiting unrest in Hong Kong, the group has kept its composition and itinerary quiet, but the Tokyo government is expected to make a report public.