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Investor Class Prospectus | MATTHEWS ASIA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND
MATTHEWS ASIA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND
Investment Objective

Long-term capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of this Fund.

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees (USD $)
Investor Class Prospectus
MATTHEWS ASIA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND
Investor Class Shares
Maximum Account Fee on Redemptions (for wire redemptions only) 9rr_MaximumAccountFee
ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Investor Class Prospectus
MATTHEWS ASIA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND
Investor Class Shares
Management Fees 0.66%rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets
Distribution (12b-1) Fees   
Other Expenses 0.50%rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets
Administration and Shareholder Servicing Fees 0.14%rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.16%rr_ExpensesOverAssets
EXAMPLE OF FUND EXPENSES

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example (USD $)
One year:
Three years:
Five years:
Ten years:
Investor Class Prospectus MATTHEWS ASIA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND Investor Class Shares
118 368 638 1,409
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example of fund expenses, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 63% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategy

Under normal market conditions, the Matthews Asia Science and Technology Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, which include borrowings for investment purposes, in the common and preferred stocks of companies located in Asia that derive more than 50% of their revenues from the sale of products or services in science- and technology-related industries and services. Asia consists of all countries and markets in Asia, including developed, emerging, and frontier countries and markets in the Asian region. A company is considered to be “located” in a country or a region if it has substantial ties to that country or region, and currently, Matthews makes that determination primarily based on one or more of the following five criteria: if the company (i) is organized under the laws of that country or any country in that region; (ii) derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed, or has at least 50% of its assets located, within that country or region; (iii) has the primary trading markets for its securities in that country or region; (iv) has its principal place of business in or is otherwise headquartered in that country or region; or (v) is a governmental entity or an agency, instrumentality or a political subdivision of that country or any country in that region. The Fund may also invest in depositary receipts, including American, European and Global Depositary Receipts.


The Fund seeks to invest in companies capable of sustainable growth based on the fundamental characteristics of those companies, including balance sheet information; number of employees; size and stability of cash flow; management’s depth, adaptability and integrity; product lines; marketing strategies; corporate governance; and financial health. Matthews expects that the companies in which the Fund invests typically will be of medium or large size, but the Fund may invest in companies of any size. Matthews measures a company’s size with respect to fundamental criteria such as, but not limited to, market capitalization, book value, revenues, profits, cash flow, dividends paid and number of employees.


The Fund concentrates its investments in science- and technology-related industries and services, which Matthews considers to be the following, among others: telecommunications, telecommunications equipment, computers, semiconductors, semiconductor capital equipment, networking, Internet and online service companies, media, office automation, server hardware producers, software companies (e.g., design, consumer and industrial), biotechnology and medical device technology companies, pharmaceuticals and companies involved in the distribution and servicing of these products.

Principal Risks of Investment

There is no guarantee that your investment in the Fund will increase in value. The value of your investment in the Fund could go down, meaning you could lose money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:


Political, Social and Economic Risks: The value of the Fund’s assets may be adversely affected by political, economic, social and religious instability; inadequate investor protection; changes in laws or regulations of countries within the Asian region (including countries in which the Fund invests, as well as the broader region); international relations with other nations; natural disasters; corruption and military activity. The Asian region, and particularly China, Japan and South Korea, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. In addition, China’s long-running conflict over Taiwan, border disputes with many of its neighbors and historically strained relations with Japan could adversely impact economies in the region. The economies of many Asian countries differ from the economies of more developed countries in many respects, such as rate of growth, inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, financial system stability, the national balance of payments position and sensitivity to changes in global trade. Certain Asian countries are highly dependent upon and may be affected by developments in the United States, Europe and other Asian economies.


Currency Risks: When the Fund conducts securities transactions in a foreign currency, there is the risk of the value of the foreign currency increasing or decreasing against the value of the U.S. dollar. The value of an investment denominated in a foreign currency will decline in dollar terms if that currency weakens against the dollar. While the Fund is permitted to hedge currency risks, Matthews does not anticipate doing so at this time. Additionally, Asian countries may utilize formal or informal currency-exchange controls or “capital controls.” Capital controls may impose restrictions on the Fund’s ability to repatriate investments or income. Such controls may also affect the value of the Fund’s holdings.


Risks Associated with Emerging and Frontier Markets: Many Asian countries are considered emerging or frontier markets. Such markets are often less stable politically and economically than developed markets such as the United States, and investing in these markets involves different and greater risks. There may be less publicly available information about companies in many Asian countries, and the stock exchanges and brokerage industries in many Asian countries typically do not have the level of government oversight as do those in the United States. Securities markets of many Asian countries are also substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than securities markets in the United States.


Depositary Receipts: Although depositary receipts have risks similar to the securities that they represent, they may also involve higher expenses and may trade at a discount (or premium) to the underlying security. In addition, depositary receipts may not pass through voting and other shareholder rights, and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.


Volatility: The smaller size and lower levels of liquidity in emerging markets, as well as other factors, may result in changes in the prices of Asian securities that are more volatile than those of companies in more developed regions. This volatility can cause the price of the Fund’s shares (NAV) to go up or down dramatically. Because of this volatility, it is recommended that you invest in the Fund only for the long term (at least five years).


Science and Technology: As a fund that invests in science and technology companies, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with these sectors. This makes the Fund more vulnerable to the price changes of securities issuers in science- and technology-related industries and to factors that affect these industries, relative to a broadly diversified fund.


Certain science- and technology-related companies may face special risks because their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Many science and technology companies have limited operating histories and experience in managing adverse market conditions and are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments and global demand cycles. As a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete, which could cause a dramatic decrease in the value of their stock. Such companies are also often subject to governmental regulation and may therefore be adversely affected by governmental policies.


Risks Associated with Medium-Size Companies: Medium-size companies may be subject to a number of risks not associated with larger, more established companies, potentially making their stock prices more volatile and increasing the risk of loss.

Past Performance

The bar chart below shows the Fund’s performance for the past 10 years and how it has varied from year to year, reflective of the Fund’s volatility and some indication of risk. Also shown are the best and worst quarters for this time period. The table below shows the Fund’s performance over certain periods of time, along with performance of its benchmark index and an index of Asian equities tracking a range of technology stocks. The index performance does not take into consideration fees, expenses or taxes. The information presented below is past performance, before and after taxes, and is not a prediction of future results. Both the bar chart and performance table assume reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. For the Fund’s most recent month-end performance, please visit matthewsasia.com or call 800.789.ASIA (2742).

ANNUAL RETURNS FOR YEARS ENDED 12/31
Bar Chart

Best Quarter
Q2 2009
28.21%

 

Worst Quarter
Q4 2008
-24.40%

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014
Average Annual Returns Investor Class Prospectus MATTHEWS ASIA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date
Investor Class Shares
9.24% 11.56% 9.78% 2.57% Dec. 27, 1999
After Taxes on Distributions Investor Class Shares
[1] 9.02% 11.63% 9.82% 2.45%  
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Investor Class Shares
[1] 5.50% 9.39% 8.17% 1.99%  
MSCI All Country Asia Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
0.84% 5.71% 5.29% 1.90% Dec. 31, 1999
MSCI All Country Asia Information Technology Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
8.19% 7.35% 5.72% (1.48%) Dec. 31, 1999
[1] After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.