BNP Paribas Group present in China for more than 160 years

Last update: Dec 29, 2022
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It is often as a pioneer that BNP Paribas Group entered into China: by opening an agency in Shanghai since 1860, the Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris inaugurated a presence that will be interrupted by the troubled Chinese history. The Société Générale de Belgique (Fortis) and BNP forerunners banks bore the cost of, and BNP settled out starting from 1980 in the Middle Kingdom, followed by Paribas in 1994.

1860-1895

The Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris (CNEP) opens an office in Shanghai, followed by Hong Kong in 1862.
Hong Kong is bankrupted in 1878, Shanghai will be closed between 1877 and 1889 and ceded to the Banque Russo-Chinoise (Russo-Chinese Bank) in 1895.

Shanghai Habbour, Pacific pursuits: Postcards,China-Shanghai, s. l., s. n., - The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection
Shanghai Habbour, Pacific pursuits: Postcards,China-Shanghai, s. l., s. n., – The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection

1896

Société Générale de Belgique (Fortis) buys a stake in Banque Russo-Chinoise (Russo Chinese Bank)

Shanghai. Russo Chinese Bank, Sternberg, M. Pacific pursuits: Postcards, China-Shanghai, Hong-Kong, The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection
Shanghai. Russo Chinese Bank, Sternberg, M. Pacific pursuits: Postcards, China-Shanghai, Hong-Kong, The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection

1898

Financing and building of Beijing-Hankow railway line, thanks to an international syndicate, negociated by Banque Parisienne (Parisian Bank), in which are present Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas (Paribas) et la Société générale de Belgique (Fortis).

Tcho-Sang ralway station in 1903 : financing and building of the Pekin- Hankow railway line - BNP Paribas Fortis Historical Collections
Tcho-Sang ralway station in 1903 : financing and building of the Pekin- Hankow railway line – BNP Paribas Fortis Historical Collections

1902

Banque Sino-Belge (Sino-Belgian Bank, a Société Générale de Belgique subsidiary) opens an office in Shanghai

1906

Branch opening in Tientsin, where Société Générale de Belgique and Banque d’Outremer> (Overseas Bank) are engaged in industrial projects

Tientsin, 1901-1909, The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection, Pacific Pursuits: Postcards, China A-Z
Tientsin, 1901-1909, The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection, Pacific Pursuits: Postcards, China A-Z

1912

Banque Sino-Belge opens a branch in Beijing

1920

Banque Belge pour l’Etranger (Belgian Bank for Foreigners) opens a branch in Hankow

1958

Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BNCI) opens an office of representation in Hong Kong, with 3 staff. In 1959, becomes an office.

BNCI branch in Hong Kong in 1965 - BNP Paribas Historical Archives
BNCI branch in Hong Kong in 1965 – BNP Paribas Historical Archives

1980

BNP is the first European bank to open a representative office in Beijing and a liaison office in Canton (Guangzhou).

1983-1984

BNP opens a regional office in Shangai and in the Shenzhen special economic zone. BNP CEO, René Thomas, first journey in People’s Republic of China

Chinese junk, Shanghai. Pacific Pursuits : Postcards, Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection
Chinese junk, Shanghai. Pacific Pursuits : Postcards, Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library, Art and Picture Collection

1988

BNP signs a cooperation agreement with the Chinese Bank of Agriculture

1992

Creation of International Bank of Paris & Shanghai (IBPS), a BNP-ICBC joint-venture (Industrial & Commercial Bank of China). 3 branches opened: Shenzhen, Tianjin and Canton, and 3 representative offices: Beijing, Tianjun and Chengtu

1994

Paribas opens 4 representative offices: Beijing, Canton, Shanghai and Dalian. 12 staff

2003

BNP Paribas (China) Limited, Shanghai as head office

2005

BNP Paribas acquires a 12,6% stake in Bank of Nanjing . 150 staff.

2014

Creation of a joint-venture between Suning (the biggest electric household appliances’ distributor in China), Bank of Nanjing and BNP Paribas Personal Finance (15% of stake). Joint venture dedicated to consumer credit at point of sales and online credit.

Today

  • BNP Paribas (China) Limited is headquartered in Shanghai, and has branches in Guangzhou, Beijing and Tianjin. It also has a sub-branch in Shanghai FTZ and a representative office in Chengdu
  • Currently with nearly 450 staff based in China, BNP Paribas provides banking, financing and advisory services to local and overseas corporations and financial institutions, institutional investors and high net worth clients.
  • Through partnerships, BNP Paribas has developed strategic collaborations with leading local institutions in China, including with Bank of Nanjing in personal, small and medium enterprises and corporate banking: Haitong Securities in asset management (HFT Investment Management), Bank of Beijing in life insurance (BOB-Cardif Life Insurance), Suning and Bank of Nanjing in consumer finance (Suning Consumer Finance), Geely in car financing (Genius Auto Finance) and Shanghai Bashi Car Rental Service in car leasing (Arval Jiutong).
Skyline of the Bund, Shanghai, 2011 - © BNP Paribas
Skyline of the Bund, Shanghai, 2011 – © BNP Paribas
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