金融中心打造进行时东亚银行有备而来

文/本刊记者 李静

金融中心打造进行时东亚银行有备而来

文/本刊记者 李静

重庆直辖这十几年来，是重庆金融业发展最快的时期。无论是金融机构数量与种类、金融资产规模与质量，还是金融产业发展潜力与速度方面，都排在了西部十二省区市前列。

作为西部地区唯一的直辖市，重庆凭借强大的政策及区位优势，正逐步成为我国长江上游的金融战略枢纽和西南最大的多功能现代化国际都市，而得天独厚的两江交汇地理优势也为重庆打造成为“长江上游金融中心”奠定了坚实的基础。近年来，落户重庆的外资银行逐渐增多，越来越多外资金融机构竞相进入重庆，金融街的打造也在如火如荼的开展中。

在建设重庆这座中国西部新兴金融高地的大趋势下，作为外资银行的代表——东亚银行自然不会放过重庆这个大市场，它正在为重庆经济的发展扮演着重要的推动角色；东亚银行重庆分行行长——来自香港的吴任斌先生是一个目击者，见证着重庆的飞速发展；更是一个参与者，积极投入到重庆金融中心的打造中来。在与我们的谈话中，他反复强调，“金融乃百业之母，一个地方金融业的高速发展对当地各行各业都起着举足轻重的拉动作用。”

记者：东亚银行重庆分行自 05年成立以来已有 5年时间，目前在重庆的发展状态是怎样的？你认为东亚银行进驻重庆这几年来带给重庆市民最大的影响或者说在重庆发展最大的成就是什么？

吴任斌： 2005年 12月东亚银行重庆分行正式成立，重庆成为东亚银行在内地设分行的第十一个城市。从开业之初只经营外币存、贷款业务，到07年下半年开始经营全面的人民币业务，我们的业务发展经历了数个阶段，一直保持着良好的发展势头。随着法人银行——东亚银行（中国）有限公司于 07年上半年的正式成立，全面的业务开放给予了东亚银行重庆分行飞跃式发展的条件，也给予了东亚银行重庆分行铺设分支网点，把外资银行的产品及服务推向重庆市民的机会。 2008年是我们银行进入高速发展的快车道时期，各项产品渠道得以进一步的铺设——东亚银行成为全国首家推出人民币借记卡和贷记卡的外资银行。进驻重庆的这些年来，东亚银行不断地给予重庆企业和市民创新的融资及理财产品；同时，也注重加强同业间交流，与本地银行相互学习，共同进步。

记者：在众多落户重庆的外资银行中，东亚银行的竞争优势是什么？

吴任斌：银行间的竞争，关键还是服务与产品的竞争，对客户来说，哪家银行产品好、服务好，就会选择该银行，是中资还是外资并不重要。目前，各银行的竞争主要集中在优质及中、高端的客户群。东亚银行凭借着优越的服务和先进的产品，近年来，在外资银行同业中，无论是存、贷款业务均居领先地位。

记者：如今国内银行业对外资银行全面开放，作为在渝外资银行的一员，东亚银行是如何定位发展的？

吴任斌：东亚银行从 1918年在香港成立，到在上海成立首间分行，90多年来从未间断在国内的业务。外资银行本地化是必然的发展趋势。我行也是第一批在国内注册的法人银行，因为我们一直以“扎根中国”、“服务全国”为发展理念，所以非常重视内地市场，为内地居民提供更多元化的银行和金融产品及服务。而在国内网点设置规划方面，在沿海地区网点成熟布局的基础上，我们着力进军中、西部及东北部，全面开拓内陆金融市场。

记者：重庆一贯被称为“内陆小香港”，作为一个香港人，你是如何看待重庆与香港之间的经济发展的？

吴任斌：香港作为亚洲金融中心，金融体系完善，各项金融业务开展方便、快捷，市场比较成熟，发展空间有限。相对来说，重庆金融发展虽较为落后，但近年已不断吸引到世界 500强在内的大批企业和金融机构来渝投资，今后的发展空间很大。

作为西部地区惟一的直辖市，西南大开发的前哨，国务院已经确立将重庆建设成为长江上游金融中心的规划目标，重庆享有独特的政策优势和区位优势，国民经济高速发展，经济实力迅速增强。目前金融业态日趋齐全、成熟，形成了在西部地区法人金融机构最多、机构门类最齐全的金融体系，加上日益活跃的金融市场，已经形成了特色鲜明的优势金融领域，城市功能定位不断提升。在我看来，重庆这座城市已经展现出无限美好的发展前景。

记者：你既是东亚银行重庆分行的行长，又是市政协委员，同时又担任重庆港澳商会会长一职，身兼数职，责任重大，你是如何协调自己的身份，充分发挥不同的社会角色的？

吴任斌：身兼不同社会角色，看似互不关联，但其实是息息相关的。银行本身的社会职能，就是提供一个融资平台去帮助客户发展。由于银行境内外网络星罗棋布，客户资源广泛，并拥有各行各业的信息，银行能提供很多客户需要的资讯以作为他们寻求合作伙伴，到国内来投资或到海外去投资的参考。

而重庆港澳商会成立的重要目的就是以商会作为渝港两地沟通的桥梁，宣传重庆，吸引更多的港澳企业来渝投资；同时也推广港澳，协助重庆的企业走出去。

作为关心重庆发展的一员，重庆市政协委员这个社会角色令我有机会为重庆市的经济发展出谋划策，贡献绵力。政协港澳委员是联系港澳群众和政府的重要桥梁和纽带，能为当地的发展建言、献策。因此，我的角色更像是一个“代言人”的身份，不仅吸引和鼓励了许多东亚银行的盟友及优质客户来到重庆投资落户，也帮助更多重庆企业走出重庆，迈向国际舞台。

As the on ly m unic ipa lity in the west o f China, by right o f the strong po lic ies and location advantage, Chongq ing is g radua lly becom ing the financ ia l strategy hinge o f the uppe r reaches o f Yang tze River and the b iggest m odern cosm opo litan c ity in southwest o f China. With the geog raphica l advantage as we ll, it has laid a so lid foundation fo r c reating the financ ia l cente r in Chongq ing.

In recent years, there are m any fo reign banks se ttled in Chongq ing, m ore and m ore foreign financ ia l institu tions estab lished in Chongq ing too, and the financ ia l s tree t b u ild ing is in p rog ress. As a rep resen tative o f foreign banks in Chongq ing, BEA bank is p laying an im po rtant ro le for the econom ic deve lopm ent o f Chongq ing. The Genera l Manage r o f BEA bank Chongq ing b ranch, Vic tor from Hong Kong is an eyew itness who w itnesses the rap id deve lopm en t o f Chongq ing. He is a lso a partic ipant who is ac tive to get to the p rocess o f build ing the Financ ia l Cente r. During ou r conversa tion, Vic to r repeated ly em phasized that the “financ ia l is the m othe r, the rap id deve lopm en t o f loca l Financ ia l Industry p lays an im portan t ro le in m any sec to rs.”

Jou rna list: It has been 5 years since BEA bank has been estab lished in Chongq ing, how is the operation go ing? W hat is the g reatest im pact to Chongq ing peop le o r the b iggest ach ievem en t since BEA estab lished in Chongq ing?

Victo r:Chongq ing is the 11th c ity that BEA Bank set its b ranch in the m ain land. From the beg inning we on ly dea l in foreign cu rrency deposits and loans to ope rate the tota l RMB business, our business has gone th rough severa l stages and m ain tains good m om en tum o f deve lopm ent. As ou r lega l person bank - the Bank o f East Asia (Ch ina) Ltd estab lished in 2007, the com p rehensive se rvices o ffers BEA bank b ranch the cond itions o f deve lopm en t and op portunity to put ou r p roduc ts and services to the pub lic o f Chongq ing. In these years, BEA o ffers Chongq ing ente rp rises and the pub lic innovative financ ing and financ ia l p roduc ts and focus on streng thening the comm unication between the p ro fessions at the sam e tim e, learning w ith loca l banks and m aking join tly p rog ress.

Jou rna list: W ha t is the com petitive advan tage o f BEA am ong so m any fo reign banks in Chongq ing?

Victo r:The key to the com petition is p roduc ts and se rvice. Fo r custom ers, w hoever has good p roduc ts and services, they w ill choose that one. No m atter Chinese-funded banks o r foreign cap ita l. W ith superior service and ad vanced p roduc t, BEA takes the lead in both deposit and c red it business am ong fo reign banks in recent years.

Jou rna list: Now dom estic banking industry is open to fo reign banks, as a m em ber o f fo reign banks in Chongq ing, how does BEA set up o rien ta tion deve lopm en t?

Victo r:BEA bank estab lished in Hong Kong in 1918, and set up the first b ranch in Shanghai, it has never stopped the dom estic business for over 90 years. A foreign bank to loca lize is an inevitab le trend. We are a lso the first ba tch o f dom estic reg iste red lega l person bank just because we have "Root in China," "Serve China" as our development philosophy. Therefore, we attached great importance to the mainland market; provide a diversity of the banking and financial products and services to mainland residents.

Journalist: Chongqing has always been called the “small inland of Hong Kong,” as a Hong Kong person, what do you think of the economic development between Chongqing and Hong Kong?

Victor:As the financial center of Asia, Hong Kong has really perfect financial system, and its financial business is convenient and fast, the market is mature but the space of development is limited. Compared to Hong Kong, the financial development of Chongqing is little behind, but in recent years Chongqing has constantly attracted a large number of top 500 enterprises and financial institutions come to invest, and the space of development is very strong.

At present the financial formats is complete, mature and formed a financial system with the most financial institutions and the most complete organizations in the western region. Combined active financial markets, it has already formed an advantages of the financial sector with striking feature. In my opinion, this city has spread out the best prospect.

Journalist: You are the General Manager of BEA bank of the Chongqing Branch, the member of Chongqing Political Consultative Conference, and Chairman of Hong Kong Macau Enterpriser Branch Chongqing Oversea Association, by holding many offices and shouldering immense responsibilities, how do you coordinate different social roles?

Victor:Trough different social roles look independent; in fact they are inextricably bound. The social function of bank is to provide a financing platform to help customers develop. Banks provide information as reference for customers to seek partners to invest mainland or overseas.

The important goal of setting up Chongqing Hong Kong & Macau chamber of commerce is to promote Chongqing and attract more Hong Kong & Macau enterprises to invest here, meanwhile, promoteHong Kong & Macau and help Chongqing enterprises going out.

As a member of CPPCC, I have opportunity to make contributions to Chongqing's economic development. Therefore, my role is like a "spokesman”, not just attract and encourage a lot of qualified customers of BEA bank to invest in Chongqing, but also help more Chongqing enterprises get on the international stage.

Building up the Financial Centre BEA Bank is Ready——In te rview w ith V ic to r, Gene ra l Manage r o f BEA Bank

W ritten by Aggie and Gary Hynson