Investment - China Bohai Bank

Standard Chartered PLC
06 September 2005

Standard Chartered PLC

6 September 2005

For Immediate Release





    Standard Chartered signs agreement on the formation of China Bohai Bank


Beijing, 6 September 2005 - Standard Chartered is pleased to announce the
completion of the Promoters Agreement of China Bohai Bank, marking the occasion
with a signing ceremony held in the Great Hall of People, Beijing and witnessed
by Premier Wen Jia Bao of the People's Republic of China and UK Prime Minister
Tony Blair.



Standard Chartered, through its wholly owned subsidiary Standard Chartered Bank
(Hong Kong) Limited, is the sole foreign strategic investor with a 19.99%
interest in China Bohai Bank ('the Bank').  Standard Chartered's investment will
be approximately US$123 million in cash.



China Bohai Bank is the first national joint stock commercial bank to be set up
in the People's Republic of China since 1996, and is also the first national
joint stock commercial bank headquartered in Tianjin.



China Bohai Bank is established using a 'promoter' model, whereby its domestic
and foreign promoters subscribe shares with cash. The initial capital is
Renminbi 5 billion.   Standard Chartered and the other Promoters are fully
committed to making China Bohai Bank a successful, competitive and
customer-focused bank.  The other Promoters include Tianjin Teda Investment
Holding Co. Ltd with a 25% interest, China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co. with
13.67%, Shanghai Baosteel Group Corp. and State Development & Investment Corp.,
both with 11.67%, Tianjin Trust & Investment Co. Ltd with 10% and Tianjin
Shanghui Investment (Holding) Co. Ltd. with 8% interest.



Standard Chartered has an uninterrupted history of commitment to China of over
150 years.  As China Bohai Bank's foreign strategic investor, Standard Chartered
will leverage its strong global resources and innovative product capabilities to
ensure the success of the new Bank.



Speaking at today's ceremony, Bryan Sanderson, Chairman of Standard Chartered
PLC, said, 'I am honoured that Standard Chartered has been given the opportunity
to participate in this exciting investment.   We will leverage our international
banking experience to assist China Bohai Bank in many areas, including product
development, risk management and governance'.



Bryan Sanderson continued to say, 'I would also like to take this opportunity to
express our sincere gratitude to the Tianjin government and all the other
esteemed Promoters for their efforts in laying a strong foundation for China
Bohai Bank'.



Chinese banking veteran and former Chairman and President of the Import-Export
Bank of China, Mr Yang Zilin, has been nominated the Chairman of China Bohai
Bank.   Mr Ma Teng, former Head of Credit Cards business of Industrial &
Commercial Bank of China, has been nominated to be the CEO of China Bohai Bank.



Standard Chartered has nominated senior managers for the positions of
Vice-Chairman, a Deputy CEO who is also a Director and Chief Risk Officer in
China Bohai Bank.     We will make an appropriate announcement once the
necessary regulatory approval on the appointments has been obtained.







                                    - END -





For further information please contact:



Crystal Qian, Head of Corporate Communication, China

Tel: [phone] Ext. 7365



Gabriel Kwan, Senior Corporate Affairs Manager, Hong Kong, China & N.E Asia

Tel: [phone]





Standard Chartered - leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East



Standard Chartered employs 42,000 people in 950 locations in more than 50
countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the
United Kingdom and the Americas. Standard Chartered is one of the world's most
international banks, with employees representing 80 nationalities.



Standard Chartered PLC is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Stock
Exchange of Hong Kong and is in the top 25 FTSE-100 companies, by market
capitalisation.



It serves both Consumer and Wholesale Banking customers. Consumer Banking
provides credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, deposit taking and wealth
management services to individuals and small to medium sized enterprises.
Wholesale Banking provides corporate and institutional clients with services in
trade finance, cash management, lending, securities services, foreign exchange,
debt capital markets and corporate finance.



Standard Chartered is well-established in growth markets and aims to be the
right partner for its customers. The Bank combines deep local knowledge with
global capability.



The Bank is trusted across its network for its standard of governance and
corporate responsibility as well as its commitment to making a difference in the
communities in which it operates.



Standard Chartered set up its first branch in Shanghai in 1858, remaining
throughout the last 150 years. Now it has ten branches (Chengdu and Suzhou to be
opened soon), one sub-branch and four representative offices in China.  The
Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Nanjing and Xiamen Branches can provide full
banking services (including RMB) for corporate customers and foreign currency
services for local citizens. The Nanjing Branch is the only foreign bank in
Jiangsu Province to be allowed to conduct RMB business. It was also among the
first group of foreign banks to be granted the QFII custodian bank and
derivative licence.





                           www.standardchartered.com


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange