The investment objective of the Fund is to achieve long-term capital appreciation through investment, both direct and indirect, in a diversified portfolio of Asia ex-Japan Small and Mid Cap equity securities as more fully described below. The Fund aims to achieve its investment objective primarily through investment in equity securities of companies with a small or middle market capitalisation all of which will be domiciled or exercising the predominant part of their economic activities in the Asia ex-Japan region. The Fund will generally invest in stocks of companies with a market capitalisation of less than US$6 billion, with trading liquidity a key consideration. The Fund may, due to an increase in market valuations, hold stocks of companies with a market capitalisation of greater than US$6 billion.