HOLLAND'S biggest financial institution, ABN AMBRO Bank, was the first foreign bank to return to Shanghai's famous Bund when it re-opened in its former premises last summer.
The bank has also recently established a foothold in Guangzhou with the opening of a representative office there last January.
Michael Drabbe, head of the bank's international division, said: 'The office in Guangzhou provides an essential bridge between our Hong Kong branch and Guangdong.
'The spectacular growth and vigour of this region over the years has already generated substantial business interests and opportunities for the bank's customers.
'Anticipating the further opening up of the China market, we also plan to set up more branches in China's other main commercial and financial centres.' ABN AMBRO already has a new representative office in Beijing but the bank's history in Asia dates to 1826. Today, it has a presence in 15 countries in the region with over 1,600 branches in more than 60 countries.
Total assets place ABN AMBRO, formed in 1991 by a merger of ABN and AMBRO, among the top seven banks in Europe and in the top 20 worldwide.
