Foreign banks are 'important' component: Senior official ( 2003-08-26 09:42) (Shanghai Daily)
Overseas banks have become an important component of China's financial system
which is being opened gradually to foreign investors, said the Chinese banking
regulatory body yesterday.
Overseas
banks have become an important component of China's financial system which
is being opened gradually to foreign investors, said the Chinese banking
regulatory body yesterday. [Xinhua]
The China
Banking Regulatory Commission held a conference with executives from overseas
banks on the Chinese mainland yesterday in Shanghai, discussing issues
concerning regulatory, business opportunities and potential risks.
"The most valuable contribution overseas banks have made to the Chinese
banking industry is the advanced corporate governance and management skills that
they have brought in," said Liu Mingkang, chairman of the CBRC.
He also encouraged foreign bankers to make equity investment in home-grown
lenders in a bid to be more deeply involved in the reform and opening up of the
Chinese banking sector.
The CBRC will also strengthen supervision of the operations of overseas
lenders on the Chinese mainland which have been flooding into the almost
untapped but potentially huge market.
"This is a valuable meeting which is very welcomed by foreign banks in
China," said a senior official of Standard Chartered Bank China."The CBRC has
outlined foreign banks' roles in the nation. We talked about some important
issues and it is clear that for the present time, a foreign bank in China is
more important than ever before."
Overseas banks have set up 184 subsidiaries and 211 representative offices on
the Chinese mainland by the end of last month, reported the CBRC.
China will open another four mainland cities - Jinan, Fuzhou, Chengdu and
Chongqing - to overseas lenders to start renminbi banking business by December
11 under its commitment to the World Trade Organization, said the CBRC. By then,
foreign lenders will be allowed to transact renminbi banking service in 11
mainland cities.
In addition, the banking watchdog signed a memorandum with the Hong Kong
Monetary Authority yesterday in Shanghai, its second such deal the CBRC has
signed with an overseas banking regulatory body since its establishment in
April.
The CBRC and its Hong Kong counterpart will cooperate to oversee the
operations of banks and representative offices in each other's places.
The CBRC has received applications from Hong Kong banks which plan to
penetrate the mainland banking market, enjoying preferential policies under the
Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement signed by the Chinese mainland and Hong
Kong in June.
The CBRC signed a similar memorandum with the Monetary Authority of Macau
last Friday.