In order to support the implementation of China’s national strategy of “the rise of Central China” and boost the rapid development of Hubei’s economy, Governor Chang Zhenming of China Construction Bank Co., Ltd. signed an Financial Cooperation Agreement with Governor Luo Qingquan of the People’s Government of Hubei Province in Wuhan on December 8. This cooperation is of major significance to promoting mutually complementary advantages between commercial banks and governments, preventing and mitigating the financial risks and advancing the sustained development of local economy and finance.

Guo Shuqing, Chairman of China Construction Bank Co., Ltd. said in his address that Hubei is located in the central region of China. It is known as a major hub of transportation in central China, linking the east with the west and connecting the south with the north. Hubei is also renowned as the "a land of fish and rice" for its produce of grain, cotton, edible oil and freshwater aquatic products rank at the top of the country. Hubei is also an important old industrial base of China with the auto-making, steel, construction materials, garments, and chemical production occupying a very important position in China. Hubei boasts strong research and development abilities for a great number of research institutes and higher education institutes are located there. Many high-tech industries including optical fiber communications, bioengineering, new materials, fine chemicals, and electro-mechanical integration, have reached some scale. The 11th Five-Year Plan, passed by the fifth plenary session of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) pointed out that the central region should pay attention to the construction of main grain production bases, develop comparatively advantageous energy and manufacturing industries, intensify the development of infrastructure, accelerate the building of modern market systems and achieve prosperity by leveraging its geological and industrial advantages. Hubei is facing great opportunities for development as the central region prospers. CCB has been an active participant and supporter in Hubei’s economic construction and development and supported the regional development strategy over past years. CCB gives priority to supporting the development infrastructure and high-tech industries and strived to satisfy the needs of corporations and consumers. CCB also established sound cooperative relations with the local government.

To further support the economic development of Hubei in the 11^th Five-Year Plan period, CCB, through extensive consultations with Hubei provincial government and in the spirit of “equality, mutual benefits, complementary of advantages, sincere cooperation and common development”, agreed to provide financial support of RMB 60 billion for key projects in the field of transportation, power, urban construction, auto-making and education and RMB 10 billion for SMEs based on the national macro-economic policy, industry policy, regional development policy and credit policy and in light of the national strategy of “the rise of Central China” and the development plans of Hubei. CCB will leverage its integrated advantages to provide better financial services to support Hubei’s economic development.

Over years of development, CCB has built up its own advantages and features in providing commercial banking services. CCB is a leader among domestic banks in many fields, such as capital construction loans, housing mortgage loans and bankcard services. CCB has an extensive customer base, including governments, corporations and consumers. As of the end of June 2005, CCB’s assets totaled RMB 4.2 trillion and the loans totaled RMB 2,370 billion. In 2005, CCB was listed as the Best Chinese Bank 2005 by The Banker, a British magazine. On October 27, CCB was successfully listed in Hong Kong, marking a breakthrough for the reform of state-owned commercial banks and a historic step on the road to internationalization.

Present at the ceremony were Yu Zhengsheng, secretary of Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPC, and member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Zhou Jianwei, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, Executive Vice Governor and Hubei, Sun Zhigang, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Hubei Provincial Committee and Secretary General of CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, Ruan Chengfa, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Hubei, heads of related agencies in Hubei and Wuhan and representatives of VIP customers.