Asia-Pacific is a major player in the universe of sovereign wealth funds (SWF). The region accounts for nearly 45 percent of the $6.31 trillion in total global sovereign wealth fund assets (current total alternative assets globally is $6.2 trillion), according to 2015 Preqin Sovereign Wealth Fund Review.*

On average, Asia-Pacific SWFs are significantly younger than their North American counterparts. Spurred by the region’s rapid economic development in the past 20 years, many countries established new funds of hundreds of billions, even trillions, of dollars, which have become some of the largest institutional investors in the world.

The Chinese government is unequivocally the most ambitious investor of all. The country’s SWFs alone account for nearly half of the region’s total. In terms of investment projects, an increasing number of these SWFs are exploring into the private sector, defying their traditional stereotype as a macro-economy stimulator. The China Investment Corporation, for example, has made multiple high-profile investments in native startups in recent years, including a $4.5 billion venture round in ANT Financial in April and an equity round in taxi-hailing startup Didi Chuxing (along with Singapore’s Temasek Holdings).

However, despite their enormous asset size, SWFs are not impervious to adverse market conditions. Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, the world’s largest pension fund managing a pool of $1.6 trillion, just lost a woeful $43 billion in the second quarter of 2016. Singapore’s Temasek Holdings also reported a 9 percent decline in total portfolio value due to market volatility in the 2015.

Here are the 20 largest sovereign wealth funds in Asia-Pacific: (All numbers were as of fiscal year 2015.)

1. Japan Government Pension Investment Fund
Country: Japan
AUM: $1.641 trillion
Year Founded: 2006
Type: Pension Reserve Fund

2. China Investment Corporation    
Country: China    
AUM: $746.7 billion
Year Founded: 2007    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

3. China State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) Investment Company     
Country: China    
AUM: $547 billion    
Year Founded: 1955
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

4. Hong Kong Exchange Fund
Country: Hong Kong (China)
AUM: $442 billion    
Year Founded: 1993    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

5. GIC Private Limited (former Government of Singapore Investment Corporation)
Country: Singapore    
AUM: $344 billion    
Year Founded: 1981    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

6. Temasek Holdings
Country: Singapore    
AUM: $266 billion    
Year Founded: 1974    
Type: Savings Fund
(Read more: Singapore’s $180B SWF Bolsters Private Holdings After Poor Annual Returns)

7. China National Social Security Fund
Country: China
AUM: $248 billion
Year Founded: 2000
Type: Pension Reserve Fund

8. Australian Government Future Fund    
Country: Australia    
AUM: $109 billion
Year Founded: 2006
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation    

9. Korea Investment Corporation    
Country: Korea    
AUM: $92 billion    
Year Founded: 2005    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

10. Brunei Investment Agency    
Country: Brunei
AUM: $40 billion    
Year Founded: 1983    
Type: Savings Fund

11. Khazanah Nasional Berhad    
Country: Malaysia    
AUM: $34.9 billion    
Year Founded: 1993
Type: Development Fund

12. New Zealand Super Fund    
Country: New Zealand    
AUM: $29.8 billion    
Year Founded: 2001    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

13. Hong Kong Future Fund    
Country: Hong Kong (China)    
AUM: $28.4 billion    
Year Founded: 2016    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

14. Thailand Government Pension Fund
Country: Thailand
AUM: $21.4 billion
Year Founded: 1997
Type: Pension Reserve Fund

15. Taiwan National Stabilization Fund
Country: Taiwan
AUM: $17.2 billion
Year Founded: 2000
Type: Stabilization Fund

16. Timor-Leste Petroleum Fund     
Country: Timor-Leste    
AUM: $17 billion    
Year Founded: 2005    
Type: Savings Fund

17. China-Africa Development Fund    
Country: China    
AUM: $5 billion    
Year Founded: 2007
Type: Development Fund

18. Vietnam State Capital Investment Corporation    
Country: Vietnam    
AUM: $3.1 billion    
Year Founded: 2005
Type: Development Fund

19. Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund    
Country: Republic of Kiribati    
AUM: $600 million    
Year Founded: 1956    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation
 

20. Indonesia Government Investment Unit    
Country: Indonesia    
AUM: $340 million    
Year Founded: 2006    
Type: Reserve Investment Corporation

*Preqin’s report doesn’t include Japan Government Pension Investment Fund