Resurgent markets and easy monetary policies in China and Japan helped drive new inflows, with China representing $30.9bn, almost the same as Japan with $30.8bn.
Looking at asset classes, concern over volatility likely contributed to the robust capital flows into mixed flexible (mixed asset) products, which accounted for $27.4bn in capital flows. A major portion of that total was from China, the firm said.
Flows into Asia-Pacific bonds continued to be strong ($13.5bn) despite the widespread uncertainty over market reaction to the US interest rate hike expected this year.
Other funds, including alternative and guaranteed products, raised close to $3bn during the first quarter, the firm said.
However, Asia-Pacific equity had close to $5bn in net redemptions.
China and Japan also dominated at the product level. The China-based SWS MU SW Industry Index Fund was the bestseller in the region during the first quarter, collecting $2.6bn.
The asset manager, SWS MU Fund Management, is a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Shenyin & Wanguo Securities.
Two Japan-focused ETFs, Nomura Topix Exchange Traded Fund and the Nikko Nikkei Listed Index Fund 225 also had significant inflows.
