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

An even bigger opportunity for Taiwanese banks in China, however, may be locally owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and①start-ups, which are not served well by China’s big state banks, says Jeffrey Wong, managing partner in Taipei for McKinsey, a consultancy. Instead they often have to resort to illegal underground lenders. Taiwanese banks, which have experience with SMEs at home, could well provide a legal alternative. More Taiwanese banks are set to follow Fubon’s trail. Cathay United, Taiwan Cooperative Bank and Chinatrust Commercial Bank are said to be interested in Fuzhou City Commercial Bank, another larger city in Fujian province across the strait.然而，对于在中国的台湾银行来说，一个更大的机会在于地区性的中小企业（SMEs）和创业企业。这些企业并不能享受中国的大型国有银行的较好服务，麦肯锡在台北的执行合伙人黄伟权说到。相反，他们经常只能求助于非法的地下钱庄。台湾银行在本地有着服务中小企业的经验，可以为这些中小企业提供一个很好的选择。更多的台湾银行开始追随富邦的脚步。国泰世华，合作金库银行和中国信托商业银行据说对福州市商业银行，另外一家福建省内较大的城市银行，十分感兴趣。

There are still plenty of ②political hurdles to overcome. Firstly, China does not officially recognise Taiwan’s government, or any of its agencies—which complicates any direct negotiations over the banking industry. Meanwhile, the FSC bans Chinese banks from setting up operations or investing in Taiwan, though it revealed in June that it may reconsider that stance.但还是有大量的政治障碍需要克服。首先，中国并不承认台湾政府以及其任何机构，这使得银行业之间任何直接的谈判变得非常困难。同时，金管会禁止中国的银行在台湾开业或投资，尽管在六月金管会透露将会重新考虑这个限制。

③Chinese banks—including two of the largest, Industrial Construction Bank of China and Bank of China—also appear to be eyeing opportunities in Taiwan.This would help them to follow their Taiwanese clients who bank with them on the mainland. Also, Taiwan’s population of 23m is similar in size to the prosperous economic clusters in China, and arguably more sophisticated. Mr Wong believes that Chinese banks may consider using Taiwan as a test platform for more advanced products, such as ④mobile-phone banking.中国的银行，包括其中最大的两家（中国工商银行和中国银行）也对台湾的机会十分关注。这将帮助他们跟踪在他们银行开户的台湾客户。同时，台湾的两千三百万人口数，大小和中国繁荣经济区类似，也许更加高端。王先生认为中国的银行也许会考虑将台湾看成更加高级产品的实验室，比如说手机银行。

More financial integration across China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, is “⑤inevitable” says Mr Wong. “The question is not if, but to what degree”. The region already shares supply chains, sales channels and human resources (with the exception of Chinese nationals working in Taiwan). Cross-border banks could offer a single service to clients that have, for instance, a factory in China, a sales office in Hong Kong and a research centre in Taiwan.中国，台湾，香港，和澳门更大程度的金融融合是“不可避免的”，王先生说。“问题不是会不会，而是在多大程度上”。这个地区已经拥有共同的供应链，销售渠道和人力资源（但中国公民不能在台湾工作）。跨越海峡的银行可以为那些，比如，工厂在中国，销售在香港，研发在台湾的公司，提供全面的服务。

Meanwhile, other financial dealings with China are fast being liberalised in Taiwan. This month the cabinet moved to relax restrictions on mutual-fund investments in Chinese stocks. Taiwanese banks have been allowed to trade the yuan for the first time since the Communist revolution. ⑥A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, said the Chinese philosopher Laozi. What is needed now is a big leap across the Taiwan Strait.同时，在台湾，和中国的其他金融交易限制正在迅速的放松。这个月行政院放松了共同基金对中国股市投资的限制。台湾银行自共产主义革命以来，第一次被允许交易人民币。老子曾说，千里之行，始于足下。现在需要的是跨越海峡两岸的一大步。