The value of trading on stock exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region overtook that on European rivals last year as markets rallied in the wake of the credit crisis.

About $18,600bn in shares were traded on the 16 Asia- Pacific bourses that are members of the World Federation of Exchanges. That compared with $13,077bn on 26 members in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. And the WFE said the trend had continued in the first two months of this year.

The region's growing weight in international finance was recently highlighted by the fact that Chinese stock exchanges, including Hong Kong, raised double the amount of money secured by initial public offerings across the US last year.

The Asia-Pacific exchanges included the Tokyo Stock Exchange; China's bourses in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong; the bourse in Australia; and the Korea Exchange.

The TSE was recently overtaken by the two exchanges on the Chinese mainland in terms of value of shares traded, making China the largest stock market after the US.

Europe's largest derivatives exchange, Eurex, said yesterday it had admitted as a member its first broker from China, GF Futures (Hong Kong) Co, bringing to 10 the number of Asian members on the exchange.

Eurex, part of Deutsche Börse, opened offices last year in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo, and is expanding in Asia.