The Bank of East Asia (BEA) is talking with two mainland banks with a view to forging a co-operative alliance, according to chairman and chief executive David Li Kwok-po.
Speaking after a lunchtime address to the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, Mr Li said BEA was hoping to expand its mainland presence, which at present was through 17 representative offices and branches.
'Last week, I was in Beijing and had the privilege and honour of meeting with governor Dai Xianglong of the People's Bank of China,' said Mr Li.
'I told him how keen I was to expand my operation in mainland China, and now we are talking to two mainland banks about co-operating with them.
'They are very interested in our Internet banking and they want our product and we are thinking of distributing our product through them and then getting some benefit out of it.' Mr Li said that for the proposed venture to work there would have to be regulatory reform.
'But we are talking with the authorities and we hope to be among the first to do such a venture on the mainland,' he said.