Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd, the fourth-biggest bank in Australia, has recently said in a note that it will establish a Chinese-language operation center in Chengdu, Sichuan Province to back up its regular growth as well as development in the Chinese market.

The declaration was made by the Chief Executive Officer Mike Smith.

Meanwhile, the working center is said to be launched in the third month of next year. The center will offer up Chinese-language call center as well as back office services to ease ANZ Bank’s development in the country.

According to reports, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd has recently announced that it is eyeing a growth of 15% in its retail deposits in 2010 as compared to 11 percent in the last year (2009).

The statement was issued by CIMB Bank head of retail banking, Peter England.

Mr. Peter said that in the period of January to August of 2010, the bank’s retail deposits increased by RM2.5 billion.

At present, its total deposits remained at RM38 billion.

Affin Investment Bank Bhd (AIBB) anticipates its cross-border trading value to double by the next 12 months, supported by its newly-introduced cross-border trading procedure.

While talking to media, executive vice-president and stockbroking division head Datuk Saiful Bahri Zainuddin said, “At present, the lender operates between RM150 million and RM200 million yearly from such trade.”

However, Saiful Bahri told media that market reactions will affect the value of cross-border trade.

According to analysts, the Central Bank of the Republic of China (CBC) is likely to increase its key interest rate again in the next quarter policy-making meeting as the local economy is increasing at a faster-than-expected pace.

While talking to media, an expert said that the CBC is planned to organize a meeting of directors as well as supervisors for the third quarter on Sept 30, when it might hike the discount rate by around 0.125 percentage points after a rate increase declared during the last quarterly meeting inn June.

According to news, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world’s most profitable lender, has announced that the Ministry of Finance and the Central Huijin Investment Ltd, the local investment division of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corp, will completely take part in ICBC’s rights issue plans.

In July this year, ICBC announced that it had secured sanction from the board of directors to lift up around RMB 45 billion through a rights issue in Hong Kong and Shanghai as a move to fill up its capital.

According to reports, China has given nod to four Taiwanese banks to establish their branches on the mainland, an important move towards financial cooperation between the two sides.

The statement released by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) just days after a milestone trade deal took effect to bring their economic systems closer.

As per news issued by the Chinese agency, “This signals the advent of a new era for cross-strait exchange and cooperation in the banking sector.”

As per reports, Bank of China Ltd. will sell around 5 billion yuan ($735 million) of two and three year yuan- denominated bonds in Hong Kong Sept. 8.

While talking to media persons, a spokesperson said that the bank will pay around 2.65 percent coupon on the two-year note and 2.9 percent on the three-year bond.

He said, “The sale will be at least 1 billion yuan in size.”

Bank of China Ltd., one of the China's four lading state-based commercial banks, announced that its profit during the first half increased by 27 percent owing to growth in interest income following a lending boom in 2009.

The Beijing-based bank added that profit in the first half, which ended on June 2010 was 52 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), or 0.2 yuan per share, from 41 billion yuan during the same period of 2009.

China Construction Bank Corp, Taiwan's Big Four state-owned commercial bank, may complete its RMB 75 billion worth of rights issue target in Hong Kong and Shanghai in October, the 21st Century Business Herald.

The report added that CCB has appointed six investment banks to arrange its rights issue.

The six investment banks appointed include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse Group AG, Morgan Stanley, China International Capital Corp H. K. Securities Ltd, CITIC Securities Co and CCB International (Holdings) Ltd.

Recently, the Asian Development Bank has estimated 5.9 percent growth for Taiwan's economic system in the existing year (2010). 

That was the word from their Asia Economic Monitor released on Tuesday. 

Moreover, the bank also eyed 4.0 percent growth for Taiwan next year. 

The bank added that China would develop by 9.6 percent in 2010 and 9.1 percent next year, whilst Hong Kong is considering 5.4 percent growth this year and 4.3 percent in 2011.