Billy Lau, CFO of Metrobank (China), is representing the Bank for the interview of “China Radio International”

Chinese SMEs played an important role during the process of China’s reform and opening. In the 18th National Congress, CCP also clearly mentioned the target and requirements of “improving the core competitiveness of large and medium-sized enterprises, supporting the development of small and micro businesses, especially the development of scientific and technical types of small and micro businesses”. In fact, Chinese SMEs not only played an important role during the economic development of China, but also brought about business opportunities to overseas enterprises and banks. Metrobank Group, a group headquartered in Manila and coming from South East Asia, found its business opportunities from the development of Chinese SMEs. According to the senior management of Metrobank (China), the important reason for its success is to serve SMEs and repay Chinese society.

Recently, in the award ceremony of “2012 Top Ten Successful Chinese Enterprises Entering ASEAN and Top Ten Successful ASEAN Enterprises Entering China”, Metrobank (China) Ltd. was honored with “Top Ten Successful ASEAN Enterprises Entering China.” On this, Billy Lau, CFO of Metrobank (China) Ltd., says that the reason of our success is to serve SMEs and repay Chinese society. “Chinese market is very huge and our niche is to serve the local SMEs, which is a strategic objective of localization. Of course a special reason is that Quanzhou is the hometown of our group chairman and he wish to repay his motherland. The goal of Metrobank coming to China is not about how much money to earn, it is to bring his enterprise back to China and carry it forward.”

Metropolitan Bank (China) Ltd. is the WOFE bank established in China by Metrobank Group and it was founded officially in March 2010, as the first WOFE Bank of Jiangsu Province. Currently, it already established 5 branches in Nanjing, Shanghai, Quanzhou, Changzhou etc. The main business of Metrobank (China) is to serve SMEs. To serve the demands of SMEs, its business includes deposit products, settlement payment, financing services, various wealth management products, etc. Combine the global source to make tailor-made plans. Therefore, Billy Lau said that our parent bank has been serving SMEs for many years and our team has good experience on SMEs, with rich international and domestic experience. We could provide tailor-made plans to meet business demands of them.

Jiangsu Province and its adjacent Zhejiang Province is the area with the centralized and best developed SMEs. And the Head Office of Metrobank (China) is located in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, with the business expanded to Chinese Yangtze River region and other major cities. On this, Billy Lau said that the main reason to set the Head Office of Metrobank (China) in Nanjing was due to the great development potential and good investment environment. “It is quite a coincident for us to put our Head Office in Nanjing. In 2008, the leaders of Jiangsu Province and Nanjing went to visit South East Asia, and they met our group chairman. Back then, they put great efforts in attracting investment sincerely and warmly, which touched our shareholders. Nanjing, as the capital of Jiangsu, has a great investment environment and human environment, which also meet the niche of our parent bank, serving SMEs.”

The founder and chairman of Metrobank Group, Dr. George S. K. Ty, is a well-known patriotic overseas Chinese. Metropolitan Bank (China) values economic profits as well as social and public welfare, and take them as the duty and purpose for enterprises. On this, Billy Lau said that ever year there were donations to Chinese charity, yet the best way to get back to society was to help batches of SMEs to get out of the difficult situations and try to achieve mutual development. Billy Lau said that “The financing of Chinese SMEs is difficult. As long as your enterprise is growing and has a good credit, we are willing to cooperate with you and grow with you. I think this is the best reward to Chinese society.”

On the fact that the CCP’s 18th National Congress brought up that China would focus on economic structure adjustment in the future, Billy Lau showed his positive and optimistic attitude. He said “the group we are serving, namely SMEs, is a very special group. If we could do a good job in this market, not to say 10 years, there are no problems for developing 50 years.”

(Reprinted from China Radio International CRI International Online)