The Shenzhen-based Ping An Insurance Group of China plans to acquire a small joint-venture bank in East China's Fujian Province through its trust subsidiary.

"We have made full preparation to acquire Fujian Asian Bank by buying the shares from the bank's mainland shareholder, we are just waiting for final approval from the authorities," a senior manager of Ping An was quoted by Chinese-language newspaper Economic Observer as saying.

If the regulator approves the acquisition, Ping An Insurance Group - with some 150 billion yuan (US$18.1 billion) in assets and businesses covering property insurance, life insurance, trusts, securities and funds - will become the country's first insurance group providing banking services.

As one of China's first joint-venture banks set up in the early 1990s, Fujian Asian Bank - with registered assets of US$30 million - was jointly formed by the Fujian trust consultancy company of Bank of China and Hong Kong BAC Finance Ltd, both sides taking 50 per cent stakes.

The registered assets of the bank were increased to US$50 million in the mid-1990s with the ratio of ownership the same. Bank of China absorbed the trust consultancy company later and became the shareholder of the Fujian bank.

"Bank of China has agreed to sell its 50 per cent stake in the Fujian bank to us," said the senior manager of Ping An.

Because of strict limits in operation scope and region, joint-venture banks of China can hardly grow so their Chinese shareholders are eager to retreat, said banking analysts. But it provides a good opportunity for Ping An to enter the banking sector.

After more than a decade's operation, Fujian Asian Bank has just one outlet and employs about 20 staff, making profits by providing foreign exchange-related service to foreign-funded companies, including loans, deposits and financing services for import and export, said an official at the bank.

However, the steady performance of the bank and its clear and simple structure enable Ping An to make the acquisition easily and cheaply, said Liu Xinming, an analyst at the research department of China Everbright Group.

"It's difficult to acquire big banks in China. For example, at the 11 share-holding commercial banks, acquisitions will be more difficult because of their shareholders' complicated backgrounds and interests," said Liu.

Ping An is expected to spend at least US$25 million, half of the expanded registered assets of the bank, to acquire the bank.

The trust subsidiary of Ping An has increased its registered capital to 2.7 billion yuan (US$325.2 million) from 500 million yuan (US$60.2 million) in October to prepare for the acquisition. According to the regulations issued by the central bank, the trust company can invest no more than 20 per cent of its capital into a financial institute.

The Fujian bank will be renamed Ping An Bank after the acquisition, according to the senior management of Ping An, and will provide credit-card service after getting approval from the central bank, targeting its life-insurance clients.

Ping An, the country's second-largest life insurer and third-largest non-life insurer, is expected to list on the Hong Kong stock market in the first quarter of next year, raising US$2 billion from the initial public offering.

It announced earlier this month that Japan's second-largest life insurer Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co had bought a 1 per cent stake in the group, the fourth foreign strategic investor following HSBC Holdings, Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley.

As a result, the foreign investment in the company reached the upper limit of 25 per cent.

Close

Today's Top News		Top Business News
+FM: Taiwan question to head Premier's US visit ( 2003-11-26) +Experts look into sequela of SARS ( 2003-11-25) +US urged to be fair in trade problems ( 2003-11-25) +'Snakehead' sentenced to death ( 2003-11-26) +Orbital debris threatens future space journeys ( 2003-11-26)		+Ping An plans to buy Fujian bank ( 2003-11-26) +New proposals on non-tradable shares under review ( 2003-11-26) +Banks see slide in forex savings ( 2003-11-26) +Cathay to apply for cargo flights to Beijing ( 2003-11-26) +HK's exports rise 9.4% on mainland trade ( 2003-11-26)