There seems to be something of an inevitability about the renminbi's rise to reserve currency and global dominance. However, there are mutterings that this ascents will be curtailed by China's development model, corporate governance and financial system.

The renminbi is on a path to becoming an international currency, and the first step of the journey is for the Chinese currency to be used to settle trade payments. As businesses begin to see the benefits of using renminbi for trade settlement, banks are competing to make their mark on this growing business.

Political uncertainty and regulation has blighted the progress on the Economic Co-Operation Framework Agreement between Taiwan and China. Now, slowly but surely, agreements are finally being reached that should benefit Taiwan's banks and businesses.

When Chinese investors sought to secure a supply of niobium metal, UBS had the unique challenge of coordinating five state-owned enterprises to a punishing timetable, all the while taking on board the differing needs of each enterprise. 

The growth of China's banking sector continues unabated, with banks the length and breadth of the country, small and large, turning in impressive performances in The Banker's Top 100 Chinese Banks ranking.

Will China's cash-rich banks want to enter the West's stagnant, mature market when there are so many growth opportunities domestically and within Asia as a whole?

Determined to avoid the pitfalls of their Western counterparts, Chinese banks have entered a phase of tightening, as regulators put the squeeze on credit and raise interest rates repetitively. 

With massive government support, Chengdu has emerged as the financial centre of western China. Important banking institutions have already moved into the new Chengdu Financial City – which is still under construction – while other economic initiatives look set to transform the region's landscape. 

Tianjin is now one of the fastest-growing banking regions in China and, as a result, its financial institutions are experiencing phenomenal growth as they continue to fund the metropolis's booming industrial development and satisfy increasing demand from foreign investors.