China Huaxia Bank Co, a medium-sized bank with a nationwide branch network, is the smallest of China’s five domestically listed shareholding banks.

China’s first privately owned bank, China Minsheng Banking Corp, is likely to be the top choice for foreign banks, given its nationwide networks and good financial health. The Beijing-based bank’s biggest shareholder is New Hope Capital, a unit of livestock feed conglomerate Sichuan New Hope Agribusiness Corp, which owns a 6.98% stake.

International banks are looking for a piece of China’s banking market. Kazuhiko Shimizu, in Shanghai, sizes up the most promising acquisition targets.
The race is on to get into the market but finding suitable acquisition targets is not easy. Getting involved with the big four state-owned banks, laden with non-performing loans, would be tricky.

Tito Mboweni details the South African Development Community’s little-known macroeconomic and monetary convergence programme.

Deutsche Bank and Saudi Arabia’s Al Azizia Commercial Investment Company (ACIC) signed a joint proposal, in mid-April, for the establishment of an investment banking joint venture.

Banca Intesa, Italy’s largest bank, has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire a 75% stake in Russia’s Small Business Credit Bank (KMB), a leading provider of lending and leasing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

US investments have helped to put Serbia on the right track, reports Eric Jansson.