In a two-pronged growth strategy, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia), the Hong Kong-listed arm of the mainland's largest lender, plans to boost its presence in the coming years through organic growth and acquisitions, a senior executive said yesterday.

 

"We will continue to boost our presence (in Hong Kong)," said Zhu Qi, managing director and chief executive officer of the ICBC (Asia).

 

The bank, which currently operates 38 branches in the city, plans to increase that number to 50 within five years, Zhu told reporters yesterday.

 

The ICBC (Asia) opened a flagship branch yesterday morning in Central, Hong Kong's prime financial area.

 

The ICBC (Asia), Hong Kong's sixth-largest lender in terms of assets, also said it would not give up any opportunities to expand.

 

"We plan to carry out another merger in Hong Kong in the coming one or two years, if there is a good chance," he said, without elaborating.

 

The ICBC (Asia) acquired Fortis Bank Asia HK's retail and commercial banking operations on April 30, 2004. Fortis Bank Asia HK was then renamed Belgian Bank and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the ICBC (Asia).

 

Its latest merger took place last August, when it acquired Shenzhen-based Chinese Mercantile Bank, in a bid to expand into mainland-related business.

 

Zhu said that Chinese Mercantile Bank's assets increased by 50 percent as a result of the ICBC (Asia) purchasing the bank.

 

"It proved that mergers and acquisitions are a very effective way to fuel our growth," Zhu remarked.

 

As for its parent's listing plan, ICBC (Asia) said this would not affect its status and role.

 

"We will continue to be an important overseas arm of the ICBC," Zhu said.

 

He also believed the parent's Hong Kong listing would also benefit it, as it "looks forward to providing securities services for the parent company's initial public offering (IPO)." As a nearly 60 percent-owned unit of the ICBC, the ICBC (Asia) will help collect cheques from IPO share subscribers.

 

Its parent is expected to raise a combined amount of US$19 billion in a simultaneous offering in Hong Kong and Shanghai, which is widely expected to take place in October, in what would be the world's largest IPO in six years.

 

The ICBC (Asia) yesterday posted a net profit of HK$560 million (US$72 million) for the first half of 2006, a year-on-year increase of 18 percent.

 

It was a handsome performance given the highly competitive Hong Kong market, analysts said. Only two other local banks have so far announced interim earnings, with Hang Seng Bank registering 2 percent growth and Bank of East Asia notching up 33 percent growth.

 

Zhu attributed the gains to a wider net interest margin, which helped the bank earn a net interest income of HK$820 million (US$105 million), up 44 percent year-on-year.

 

Its cost/income ratio, an indication measuring efficiency, decreased from 44.9 percent to 37.7 percent, "showing greater synergy from the acquisition of Belgian Bank," Zhu said.

 

The bank plans to keep the figure below 40 percent for the whole of 2006, he added.

 

(China Daily August 10, 2006)