Moved away from Matthews funds awhile back when Andrew Foster left. Nothing today at Matthews are truly exceptional but the fee are above average. I can always find more cheaper alternatives while having the same performance.
We owned MAINX in the past, but switched to Vanguard EM bond, VEGBX. The expense ratio is at 0.45%, less than half of that of MAINX.

MAINX I track this one, and babysit some money for friends. I put them into this one, since 2010. It's 4.98% of their stuff. For 2019, divs averaged out to 3.7 cents/month per share. I own other funds that are doing less well than that. Name changed, to "Matthews Total Return" bond fund. Current yield is 3.99, call it 4%. Up 13% in 2019. Up 1.62% YTD. The fund will turn 10 years old very soon. Teresa Kong still at the helm. With this selection, I don't have to say, on behalf of those friends: "I coulda been a contender!"

@Old_Skeet Your comment about reducing your stock percentage to accommodate your overweight in high yield bond funds sounds familiar to me. I finally settled on accounting for that issue by including all but very short duration high yield and EM bond funds in the allocation made to my Mixed Asset 1 Pot. Current holdings in that pot include VWINX, HBLAX, WFLEX, and MAINX. ARTFX was previously held in that pot but was sold to help fund the purchase of the bond CEFs now held in my newly created Mixed Asset 3 Pot (PDI, MCI, and DSL). I discussed that new pot above without using that title. I was able to reestablish a position in PDI on 12/24/18 at a slight discount thanks to a timely heads up from @expatsp I read on this site!

I own some MAINX in my IRA. Was thinking of adding to it, now maybe I will.

"This investment seeks total return over the long term...It is not diversified." I guess M* took that from the Matthews website? Is it MAINX matched by M* to the wrong benchmark/index? It trails the Index in "Performance." But results have been quite good, I'd say. I'm out of Matthews, but I babysit some money for others, including a small chunk in MAINX.

With all this talk on bonds and with the Schwab MM now down to 1.62%, I'm adding to my 2 bond funds, IOFAX and MAINX. Both have about the same return YTD, ~11%, and maintaining steady, persistent upward trends.

Yes, I was patient, but finally decided to leave SFGIX. With the China trade-war, and its knock-on effects toward other Asian countries, MAPIX is up by just a tiny fraction, this year, so far. I track both MAPIX and the bond fund, MAINX. The latter is performing quite well, indeed. It's up 8.29% YTD. It's lost a star or two at Morningstar. And M* has changed its peer category once or twice. And I notice that MAINX paid nothing at year-end in 2018. I'd be unhappy with THAT, if I owned the fund. The same thing happened re: an expected dividend a few years ago, with MAPIX.

For no other reason but for diversification. Only hold 2 bond specific funds, IOFIX and MAINX.

It has been an amazing year for bonds. So much so that MAINX lags iin its category (emerging markets bond) and in the 75th percentile. One of the best in that category over the past three years has been Vanguard’s VEMBX and it is up over 14% YTD.

I don't own it, but track it. Up ytd by +9.18%. That's totally, ridiculously amazing. Teresa Kong at the helm. MAINX. Will this fund beat its inception-year performance? (+13.62%.) Is it not also limited to Asian bonds? The Matthews house only does Asia.

Don't disagree with the article, but my preference for China / Asia bonds is MAINX. I only have 2 bond funds and that is one of them. Not sure where you would go for a Brazilian bond focus.

MAINX is my pick too for Asia. It's part local, part U.S. currency (~ 50% USD now), so does well when the dollar's doing a dip but doesn't get completely killed when it rallies.
To Crash's point, I like the combo of MAINX and PRSNX for overall exposure that's partly local currency, mostly dollar-hedged, half or more EM, and fairly heavy Asia.
Per Brazil: Pimco's EM holdings in their various multisectors have usually been fairly heavy in Brazil. Maybe one of the Pimco EMs would be heavy Brazil, but I can't tell by the web site entries, which are weighted by duration and currency exposure only, not market weight. The monthly fund data spread sheets prob'ly show market weight, but I'm too lazy to dig further.
Cheers, AJ
P.S. Just reading the clip Ted provided about the article: holding some negative yielding issues is not wacky if you're positioning for an equity/credit downturn or just a risk offset for that exposure. Yield is not the only potential upside in bonds - capital appreciation is another, at times much more important, consideration. The negative yielders are "safe" ex-U.S. developed nation sovereigns that are being bought for that purpose exactly - thus the negative yield. Lots of knock-on effects there, including on U.S. rates and the dollar ...
Bloomberg TV's weekly program "Real Yield" (airs Fridays, also available online afterwards) is a good source for up-to-date news and trends in fixed income - highly recommended.

Don't disagree with the article, but my preference for China / Asia bonds is MAINX. I only have 2 bond funds and that is one of them. Not sure where you would go for a Brazilian bond focus.

Appreciate the words, @hank. Yes, it's not a big deal, but I prefer monthlies rather than quarterlies. Another D & C bond fund paid .11 cents/share today. DODIX. That's the one I have those folks in--- the couple whose money I babysit, along with two others, to go along with their stock funds and balanced funds. (PRSNX and MAINX.)

Probably nothing better that MAINX for Asian bonds. 35% China, 15% Hong Kong. It's a ride, but I like the fund.

@FD1000, what managed bond funds do you use? Right now I hold 2 bond mutual funds, IOFAX and MAINX. I've pulled out of bonds quite a bid in the last 6 months and put that money into 1-2 year CDs. The rise in CD rates has stalled and now I think CD rates aren't going to catch fire for a while. Some of my cash has made it's way to a gold ETF play also.

Thanks for the run-down. You're spelling-out the sort of stuff I have been only "sniffing-out." There's statistics, more statistics, then damned statistics. M* could be lots more accurate. I also note this, while we're on the subject: TRP PRSNX calls its fund: "Global Multi-Asset" Bond fund. M* labels it, "World Bonds." Same with MAINX. Matthews "Asia Strategic Income." That name would point to a specialized sort of approach. But M* says it's a "World Bond" fund. And it's virtually all in Asia, too. I understand Teresa Kong plays with Treasury futures, some.

Put more in some ETF's, VIOG and VONG.
Put more in FOCPX, and PRHSX.
Closed out MAINX, took 1/5 out of TCMPX.
I'm trying to get simpler.

@davidmoran, DSEEX is doing well this year and pays out a small monthly dividend. The European equivalent CAPE fund is doing quite as well since it is not hedged to USD.
My long held MAINX is lagging badly this year as the dollar strengthened. Still like this fund better than emerging market bonds and those in local currencies. I have been following PCI but it is trading at a premium so I will wait.
I would advise against chasing the better performing asset - certainly not in one lump sum. If need to be, consider buying in dips over a 3-6 months period. Cash is still a viable option since money market is paying close to 2%.

http://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/mainx/quote.html
MAINX. Not a domestic core bond fund at all. I mention this one in response to @hank, who mentioned DODLX.

I doubt you were serious about selling everything on March 11

No,

@Hank, that was my humor :)
I'm perfectly fine with my investing style, 1/2 in a robo, 1/2 self managed. Don't feel I've missed out. Risk and reward is comfortable. PRWCX is the largest holding in my self managed portfolio which right now sits at about 29% cash. I'm perfectly happy to hold cash with a good portion of it ending up in a CD ladder and MM. I've increased cash over the last few months by taking profits on a few individual stocks that did really well, BABA Alibaba, V Visa, VLO Valero, and selling off bond funds, a big chuck of my PONAX and selling out of PFIAX and PRSNX (though I did reinvest some of that bond money in MAINX to stay in Asia bond market).
Now, just sitting back and watching the circus.

Just bumping MikeM’s response up a bit. Thanks for the reply Mike.
PS - @MikeM - Please know that humor’s not allowed on the board anymore! :)