The Banking System of Hong Kong: Perspectives on Changes and Development
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THE BANKING SYSTEM OF HONG KONG: PERSPECTIVES ON CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENT Yuen Yin Chan Submitted in partial fulfillrnent of the requirements for the degree of Master of Development Economics Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia September 1998 O Copyright by Yuen Yin Chan, 1998 Nationai Library Bibiïïthèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquiçitians et Bibiiographic SeMces services bibliographiques 395 Weltigtm Street 395. nie Wellington O&awaON KIAW OttawaON K1A ON4 Canada canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Lïbrary of Canada to BLbliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn-bute or sell reproduire, prêter, distrïïuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherurise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........... .. ..... .................... .... LIST OF TABLES ..........................-.-..-..... ...................................... ........ ABSTRACT ...... .......... .. ... ... .. .. ... ....... ........................ ... ............ .. ...... -.. ABBREVIATIONS..................................... ..... ............................... ........ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...............-...- - .--... ........... ..-............-. ...... ..... ..... CHAPTER 1 IM'RODUCTION ....... ........-..................... ......................... 2 BANKING AND ECONOMlC DEVELOPMENT............ Overview,,.. .. .. ... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .... ... .... .......... .. .. ....... .. .. .. Functions of a Banking System............. .. ............. ... Channeling Savings into Real Investment.. .. ... Providing the Means for Payment.............. ... ... Providing a Variety of Stores of Wealth ........... Providing Entrepreneurial Talent.. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. Stabilizing the Economy ............ ... ................. .. Role of Banking System in Econornic Development.. .. Relationship between Financial Development and Economic Growth ........................... ....... ... 2.4.1 Demand-following Finance ..... ........ .. 2.4.2 Supply-leading Finance .................................... 13 3 THE ROLE OF BANKING IN THE ECONOMY OF HONG KONG............................................................... 16 3.1 The Development of the Banking Industry................ 16 3.2 Hong Kong as an International Financial Centre ....... 22 3.3 Significance of the Banking Industry to the Economy ................ ..... ........................................... 30 4 THE CENTRAL AND COMMERCIAL BANKING IN HONG KONG .................. .. ...................-. ........................ 37 4.1 Hong Kong Monetary Authority ............................... 37 4.2 Monetary Policy .......................................................... 43 4.3 Commercial Banking .................................................. 48 4.3.1 Legal Framework........................................... 48 4.3.2 Status of Foreign Banks .................. .. ............ 51 4.3.3 Major Banking Groups......................... .. .... 54 5 BANKl-NG SYSTEM N PIIIAINLAND CHINA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITJ3 HONG KONG ..................... 63 5.1 Ovewiew of Mainland China's Banking System ....... 63 5.1.1 Pre-reform System .......................................... 63 5.1.2 Current System............................................... 64 5.2 Mainland China - Hong Kong Banking Activities .... 83 5.2.1 Overview of China .Hong Kong Econornic Relations.................................... .... .................... 83 5.2.2 Hong Kong's Banking Activities in Mainland China................................................................. 84 5.2.3 Mainland China's Banking Activities in Hong Kong .................................................................. 86 6 TRENDS AND ISSUES ............... -... .......................... 92 6.1 Monetary System of Hong Kong after 1997 ............... 92 6.1.1 Two Monetary Systems............ .. ............... 93 6.1.2 Two Monetary Authorhies................. .............. 94 6.1.3 Two Currencies................................................ 95 6.3 Cornpetitions frorn Other Financial Centres............... 99 7 SWYAND CONCLUSION.................................. 1 14 Appendix 1 Selective Basic Law Provisions Related To Monetary . Policies ......................... ..,.. ,. .................. 1 19 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................. ............................. 131 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 : Ranking of Hong Kong as an International Financial Centre, 1995 ................ ....... ................................ 23 Table 3.2: Authonzed. Banking Institutions in Hong Kong: Domicile and Parentage ........... .... ........................ 24 Table 3 -3: Authonzed Banking Institutions in Hong Kong: Country/Region of Beneficial Ownership .................... 26 Table 3.4: Presence of World's Largest 500 Banks in Hong Kong ........................................ ..... ............................. 27 Table 3.5: Extemal Liabilities and Clairns of Hong Kong's Banking System ............... .. .................................... 28 Table 3.6: Loans to Non-Bank Customers by Hong Kong's Banks ......................................................................... 39 Table 3.7: Geographical Breakdown of Net Extemal Clairns/Liabilities of Hong Kong's Authorized . Banking Institutions .................................................... 3 1 Table 3.8: Total Loans for Use in Hong Kong by Economic Sector............. ., .......................................................... 32 Table 3.9: Employment in the Industry Sector: 'Financing, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services' ............. 33 Table 3.10: Contribution to GDP by the Industry Sector: 'Financing, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services' ....................................................................... 34 vii Table 4.1 : The Three-tier Banking System of Hong Kong. .. ...... .. 50 Table 4.2: Distribution of Assets, Deposits and Loans in Hong Kong's Banking System........ ...... .. ....... ................... .. 58 Table 5.1: A Measurement of the Independence of the People's Bank of China......................................................... .. 71 Table 5.2: The Banking Structure of Mainland China .............. .... 75 Table 5.3 : Loans and Deposits of Major Banking Institutions in Mainland China, 1994.. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. - -... .. .. 76 Table 5.4: Bank Representative Offices in Mainland China, by Country of Origin, End 1994........................................ 78 Table 5.5: Contracted Extemal Loans to Mainland China, 1979-1993......... ......... ...................... ............... , .... ...... 86 Table 5.6: Member Banks of Bank of China Group in Hong Kong ........................ ............... ......................... .............. 87 Table 6.1: Cornparison of Hong Kong and Japan: Selected Categories, 1995................ .. ...........-.... ........... 10 1 Table 6.2: Cornparison of Hong Kong and Tokyo as Offshore Banking Centres.. .. ....................................................... 102 Table 6.3: Cornpaison of Hong Kong and Singapore as International Financial Centres.... ..... ..... ...... .... ......... 105 Table 6.4: Cornparison of Hong Kong and Shanghai as Financial Centres .................... .. ............................. .. ...... .... 1 1 1 ABSTRACT The objective of this thesis is to analyze the development. structure and prospects of Hong Kong's banking system. In pahcdar. it attempts to investigate the monetary relationship between Hong Kong and Mainland China Through the assessment of the development of banking systems in Hong Kong and to a lesser extent Mainland China this thesis shows how these two economies carried out reforms in response to the changes and challenges to their banking industries, notably, the establishment of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the empowered authority of the People's Bank of China. This study illustrates that Hong Kong and Mainland China have already established a close banking relationship. Despite this intimate relationship. the monetary systems of Hong Kong and Mainland China will remain entirely separate even after Hong Kong's return to China in 1997. As a small open economy, Hong Kong mut continue to compete with other financial centres in the region, such as Singapore which stands out as an imminent cornpetitor of Hong Kong. This study concludes that the future development of the Hong Kong banking industry will hinge on whether Hong Kong can maintain its openness to the international cornrnunity and exercise proper and prudent supervision over its financiai institutions. More importantly, the economic and political development of Mainland China, if this continues on the right track. will Merboost the sustainable developrnent of Hong Kong's economy. ABBREVIATIONS ABC Agricultural Bank of China ACUs Asian Currency Units BOC Bank of China BOCOM Bank of Communications CI Certificate of Indebtedness CITIC China International Trust and Investment