VZCZCXRO9455
RR RUEHCN
DE RUEHGZ #5379/01 0580843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270843Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8953
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0415
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GUANGZHOU 005379 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDOC FOR DAS LEVINE AND ITA/MAC/AP/MCQUEEN 
TREASURY FOR OASIA/ISA KOEPKE AND DOHNER 
STATE PASS CEA FOR BLOCK 
STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD FOR JOHNSON/SCHINDLER 
STATE PASS SAN FRANCISCO FRB FOR CURRAN 
STATE PASS NEW YORK FRB FOR DAGES/CLARK 
STATE ALSO PASS USTR STRATFORD/WINTER/MCCARTIN 
PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON EINV WTRO CH
SUBJECT:  The Woes of Foreign Banks in Southern China 
 
Ref:  Beijing 3454 
 
(U) THIS DOCUMENT IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE 
PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.  NOT FOR RELEASE OUTSIDE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT CHANNELS.  NOT FOR INTERNET PUBLICATION. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Foreign banking representatives in 
Guangdong province expressed continued frustration at 
breaking into domestic markets, while acknowledging the 
easing of restrictions on paper.  The banking officials 
cited administrative hurdles and a lack of transparency in 
regulations and guidelines as sources of concern.  To combat 
a discouraging business environment, several foreign banks 
have formed a collective to dialog with regulators and 
competitor domestic banks.  End Summary. 
 
All Banks Are Equal, Except for Some 
------------------------------------ 
¶2. (SBU) During a February 16 meeting with the Consul 
General, representatives from Bank of America, Wachovia, 
Citibank, Scotiabank, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of Montreal 
spoke of China's compliance with its WTO commitments with 
respect to the banking sector, including prospects for 
developments after December 2006 when theoretically foreign 
banks should be able to operate on the same terms as their 
domestic counterparts.  These will include foreign banks 
having rights to conduct an extensive RMB business and 
foreign banking presence throughout the country beyond the 
thirty-two cities currently open to foreign banks.  In 
Guangdong, for example, only Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shantou, 
and Zhuhai are currently open.  Credit card services are 
still closed to foreign banks, and new guidance is expected 
in December 2006, though the foreign bankers at this meeting 
do not know what to expect. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Citibank official stated that even after 
December 2006, local banks will still be at an advantage 
because of their established networks and their connections 
with local governments.  He added that a long application 
process to open new branches allows local governments to 
control the speed of expansion.  As a result, local banks 
can be more aggressive than their foreign counterparts, as 
they face fewer requirements and less stringent risk 
analysis when processing loans.  One way that foreign banks 
circumvent the stiff competition is by investing directly in 
local banks.  Foreign banks currently represent only about 
two percent of the nation's market share. 
 
When in Doubt, Unite 
-------------------- 
¶4. (SBU) Foreign bankers in Guangdong have formed a semi- 
official association when they joined the Guangdong Bank 
Association as a committee within the association in January 
¶2005.  Though the Bank Association remains the umbrella 
organization, the foreign banking members operate by their 
own guidelines, and the committee has five-member board of 
directors elected annually.  The foreign bankers jointly 
communicate with regulators through this committee to seek 
clarification of rules, and have a limited dialogue with 
domestic banks in the association.  The Deutsche Bank 
representative noted that the Guangdong foreign bankers 
group differs from the one in Shanghai, where there is more 
dialogue overall. 
 
Bank Shots 
---------- 
¶5. (U) When asked to list their top areas of concern, the 
bankers responded: transparency in the understanding of and 
compliance with regulations; the relatively large number of 
regulators in the banking sector with their own regulations; 
the difficulty and slowness associated with repatriation of 
foreign currency earnings; administrative hurdles in setting 
up new branches; China's foreign exchange policy; and 
shortages of skilled professionals.  The bankers noted that 
local banks are a good source of experienced labor, and that 
internal training is an option. 
 
GUANGZHOU 00005379  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
One Niche Market is Two in the Bush 
----------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) Foreign banks are able to offer specialized 
products, allowing them to operate in a niche market. 
Citibank described some products including forward rates 
(extending 6 or 12 months into the future), cross-currency 
rates, derivatives, commodity hedging, and deposits linked 
with outside investments.  The Bank of Montreal 
representative stated that Chinese regulatory officials are 
eager to learn about these niche products, while the 
Citibank official added that his institution has offered 
training on derivatives to Chinese officials. 
 
Don't Bank On It 
---------------- 
¶7. (SBU) When asked about the role of compliance officers, 
the banking officials stated that, due to lack of 
transparency in the development of new regulations as well 
as a dearth of clear interpretation guidelines, there is a 
growing demand for good compliance officers.  The Deutsche 
Bank official stated that Chinese regulators themselves are 
a common source for compliance personnel, adding that former 
regulators also would have good "guanxi" -- relationships -- 
with their former colleagues. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The bank officials explained that regulations are 
issued on a nationwide scale through several different 
regulatory bodies, but disagreed over the extent of 
transparency in the regulatory process.  For instance, the 
Citibank official said he believes the National Development 
and Reform Commission (NDRC) has wielded a significant 
influence for many years but is mostly a closed process that 
invites input from Beijing-based think tanks.  The Deutsche 
Bank representative noted that transparency has improved, as 
NDRC has publicized and sought feedback for new policies in 
the last two years.  The representatives agreed that local 
regulators normally are not consulted in the process, and 
often are unsure how to interpret the regulations. 
Consequently, different cities practice different 
interpretations of national guidance, though the Bank of 
Montreal representative commented that local officials can 
be quite defensive if foreign banks highlight the city-to- 
city differences. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The committee that the foreign banks created 
under the Guangdong Banking Association has helped get a 
degree of clarity about the interpretation of regulations. 
The process works essentially with the committee providing 
bank regulators with the committee's thoughts about 
practical compliance with the regulations.  Almost 
invariably there is no response from local bank regulators, 
which the foreign banking community takes as agreement on 
the interpretation.  The fact that local interpretations are 
common, however, leaves many foreign bankers in Guangdong 
with considerable unease that one day they 
may come to the office to find a notice of violation of a 
regulation and a substantial fine to boot. 
 
Shenzhen and Guangdong Development Banks in the News 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶11. (SBU) Recently, the media reported that Jeffrey Williams 
resigned as president of the Shenzhen Development Bank. 
Williams, an American, was the first foreign president of a 
Chinese bank.  Participants at the lunch attributed his 
resignation to conflicts in management style and culture. 
Also recently, Citibank reportedly submitted its bid for a 
majority ownership of Guangdong Development Bank, while 
French and Chinese consortiums submitted competing bids. 
Milson Lau, General Manager of the Guangzhou Branch of 
Citibank, did not offer any new information on the deal, 
other than to comment that a decision is expected in a month 
or two. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
GUANGZHOU 00005379  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) While the bankers we spoke with have generally 
positive views about the quality of the provincial and local 
governments' banking regulatory personnel, the combination 
of administrative hurdles and lack of transparency favors 
local banks that already are entrenched in the economy.  At 
the same time, however, the novelty of niche financial 
products, combined with recent efforts to create a unified 
voice, offer an opportunity for foreign bankers to begin 
creating their own "guanxi" and to expand their markets 
based on their comparative advantage -- developments that 
local regulators seem to want even as they wish domestic 
banks would speed up their abilities to be equally 
innovative. 
 
DONG