In March 2010, the of the first foreign bank headquartered in Nanjing --- Metropolitan Bank (China) Co., Ltd., officially opened in Lianqiang Tower, Jianye District. Metropolitan Bank (China) makes a breakthrough of newly opened locally incorporated foreign banks by achieving profits within six months, and based in Nanjing, successfully radiates many cities across the province and country.

Yesterday, the President of Metropolitan Bank (China) Co., Ltd., Ms Lin Guixian received an interview with us talking about the company’s experience and gains of choosing Nanjing and settling in Jianye, she said, "We made the right choice to Jianye!"

Yesterday --- “Forward planning and excellent policies attracted us to settle the corporate headquarter in Jiangsu”

In the past, foreign banks in China will generally choose Beijing or Shanghai as their headquarters. Currently, there are 41 foreign bank corporate headquarters in China, most of which are located in Beijing and Shanghai. In 2008, we applied for converting from foreign branch (Shanghai Branch) to local corporation bank in China. And our initial choice for headquarter is also Shanghai.

By chance, in 2008, a group of high-level leaders of Jiangsu Province and Nanjing visited Southeast Asia and encountered the shareholders of Metropolitan Bank Group. At the time, Jiangsu has made great efforts attracting foreign investment with full sincerity. The shareholders got deeply-moved by the visiting leaders while seeing another possibility, which is settling in Jiangsu province and becoming the first locally incorporated foreign bank in Jiangsu. According to the transportation planning during that time, after the CRH throws into operation, it only takes one hour from Nanjing to Shanghai, which indicates unlimited space for future development. What’s more, Jiangsu is a big province with GDP ranking the second of the country.

Taking all these favorable factors into account, the Metropolitan Bank Group decided to come to Jiangsu around the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009.

Story behind the scene was that ever since the global financial crisis began in 2008, the Chinese government was very cautious in the cross-border evaluation of the foreign financial institutions. Jiangsu provincial government placed great importance to the Metrobank project and communicated with the higher government & regulators several times. In this way, in May 2009, Metrobank group finally got approval to set up the first WOFE bank headquartered in the province. At that time, Hexi CBD was barely in embryo with only a small number of financial institutions settled in, and was a bit remote from the city center. However, in accordance with the city planning, it will be the provincial or even national financial experimental area. We are very optimistic about its future. With us officially opened in March 2010, which made us so fortunate to be part of Hexi CBD, and realize our dream of becoming the first WFOE bank incorporated in Jiangsu.

Today --- “Posted profits half a year after opening and has maintained balanced and steady growth."

A few years ago, a lot of people asked me, why to choose a relatively remote place for a new bank’s location, rather than the city downtown. But after a few years’ operation, we are more convinced that we have made the right choice of selecting Nanjing and settling in Hexi CBD,.

I am saying it’s the right choice, firstly because this area is growing every day and we are pleased to feel every single progress. Moreover, it is especially because the government provides great support for us --- for example, we focus on serving SMEs, so CBD actively recommends SMEs in the region to us; we launch one-stop service for enterprises settling down in the Bank, so CBD introduces newly established foreign-invested enterprises to the area to us; we have many expats and nonlocal employees, so the CBD Administrative Committee referred apartments to us to solve the daily inconvenience; the high quality communities in Hexi also provide many good choices for expats. What touched me the most is that the CBD specifically sets up a foreign-joint Communist Party branch for us, offered a sense of belonging for me and the other 14 members. This year, we have been rated as advanced Party branch. Many young staff had submitted their applications.

When receive the warmhearted help from government at all levels, especially the Jianye District Government, we, at the same time, adhering to the principals of "Global vision, rooted in China”, provide quality service for SMEs, cultivate and bring them up together with the Bank and Jianye District. Since our establishment, we’ve made a great breakthrough of WFOE banks of achieving profits within half a year after opening and maintaining a balanced and steady growth. In the future, we will still focus on serving SMEs with Jiangsu as the center and Nanjing as the basis, to radiate Yangtze River Delta and set up branches in major political and economic cities in China.

Tomorrow “We expect more bank headquarters and financial institutions to join us, together turning Hexi CBD into Nanjing Lujiazui”

According to the development strategy, we are planning to set up 15 branches domestically within five years. We currently have four branches, including Shanghai branch (including Pudong Sub-Branch), Nanjing Branch, Changzhou Branch, as well as the soon-to- be-opened Quanzhou branch Branched in Suzhou and Hangzhou are planned as well. We’re the first foreign bank introduced to Changzhou and Quanzhou. With Hexi CBD as the center, the branches cover Jiangsu, Yangtze River Delta, and further the major domestically political and economic cities, we firmly believe that based on Hexi CBD blueprint “financial center of the Yangtze River Delta north wing region”, our branch development will go more smoothly. For our business development, we will take the initiative to meet the economic development in China, serving SMEs actively, to contribute to the steady growth of the Chinese economy.

As it should be, in the development process, we also find it difficult to locate the appropriate high-end management personnel for financial headquarter in Nanjing. Several positions are still vacant for qualified talents with international vision and extensive experience. In addition, financial platforms turn out to be inadequate in Nanjing, which has caused some problems, such as quite some businesses only operated in Shanghai for international connection, etc. All the above issues do restrict foreign bank development to some extent. To this end, we have developed a talent development strategy, planning the establishment of the Human Resource Center of Nanjing (Headquarter). Further expand the talent pool and cultivation, to build more space for development from now on. We strive to develop into a stable, steady, distinctive and reputable bank.

Certainly, we believe, with further advancement and promotion, Hexi CBD will attract more foreign banks to settle, and related business platform will be gradually established. We are expecting more headquarters of the foreign banks and financial institutions to come in company with us, jointly promoting Nanjing Hexi CBD into a “Lujiazui ” soon.

（From Nanjing Daily）