Chinese and Taiwanese banks--Finally thinking Strait(1/2)

The first steps in what could become more financial integration in Greater China

中国和台湾的银行--终于开始思考跨越海峡

大中华区金融融合的第一步

XIAMEN, the 19th-century tea port known to the British as Amoy, became in the 20th century a fortified front line in China’s struggle with Taiwan. For many years one of the only things it exchanged with Taiwan was artillery fire across the narrow strip of water that separates it from the Taiwan-controlled island of Kinmen.厦门，十九世纪的茶叶港口，被英国人称作Amoy，在二十世纪成为中国对抗台湾的前线。多年来，它和台湾交换的仅仅是隔着狭长的水域发射的炮火，这狭长的水域将厦门和台湾控制的金门岛隔开。

But since it was made a “①Special Economic Zone” in the 1980s, Xiamen has boomed, largely thanks to investment by Taiwanese firms. Its ties with what China still regards as a renegade province could grow even tighter soon, as both China and Taiwan consider reforms that could encourage ②cross-strait banking, and, conceivably, greater financial integration across Greater China.但是自从二十世纪八十年代厦门成为“经济特区”之后，厦门发展迅速，这在很大程度上要归功于台湾企业的投资。中国和台湾都在考虑通过改革促进海峡两岸的银行业，可以想象得到的是，这将进一步促进大中华区金融的融合。中国和仍被它称之为叛省的台湾之间的联系将更加紧密。

The world’s attention has been focused on the Chinese tourists who arrived, with the novelty value of astronauts, in Taipei on July 4th. But since President Ma Ying-jeou ③took office in May, his government has also taken steps to liberalise financial services between Taiwan and China.七月四日，中国的游客们，带着航天员般的好奇，抵达了台北。全世界的目光都被吸引住了。但是，自从马英九总统五月上任以来，他的政府同时还放松中国和台湾之间金融服务的管制。

The first move was the decision, just before Mr Ma took office, by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), the main ④financial regulator, to allow Fubon Financial to take a 20% stake in Xiamen City Commercial Bank. With the FSC’s blessing, Fubon, which is one of Taiwan’s largest banks, can now complete the deal through its Hong Kong subsidiary, technically making it a national transaction for the Chinese. The China Banking Regulatory Commission, the Beijing-based industry regulator, has indicated it may give the deal its blessing next month. If it does, Fubon will become the first Taiwanese bank to have operations on the mainland.第一步是由金融监督管理委员会（金管会），台湾主要的监管机构，在马先生即将上任前走出的。金管会允许富邦银行收购厦门市商业银行20%的股份。有着金管会的允许，富邦，这个台湾最大的银行之一，可以通过它香港的子公司来完成这桩交易。这样，在技术上对中国人来说成为一桩国家间交易。中国银行业监督管理委员会，总部位于北京的行业监管机构，指出下个月也许会批准这笔交易。如果真的通过的话，富邦将会成为第一个在大陆执业的银行。

It is not a giant first step. Xiamen City Commercial is a small, regional bank with just over $2 billion in assets and 30-odd branches.⑤Yet the deal enables Fubon Financial to keep closer relations with its Taiwanese business clients on the mainland. The bank also hopes to introduce Taiwanese management techniques to a banking sector that is reckoned to be ten or 15 years behind the island’s. Xiamen City Commercial’s Chinese customers will feel “er mu yi xin”— a change for the better, says Victor Kung, a boss of Fubon Financial.这一步跨的并不大。厦门市商业银行是一个小型地区性银行，仅仅有二十几亿美元的资产和三十几家分支机构。尽管如此，这笔交易使得富邦银行能够和在大陆的台湾客户保持更加紧密的联系。富邦银行也希望可以为这家银行引入台湾的管理技术，这家银行被认为落后于(台湾)岛内10至15年。这将给厦门市商业银行的客户们一个“耳目一新”的感觉，富邦银行的一个老板龚天行说到。