September 11 Digital Archive

Flushing has become the second-largest banking area in New York; deposits exceed $3 billion

Title

Flushing has become the second-largest banking area in New York; deposits exceed $3 billion

Source

born-digital

Media Type

article

Original Name

Managers of both the international banks and Chinese-run banks agree that as more and more new Chine

Created by Author

yes

Described by Author

no

Date Entered

2002-09-17

VTMBH Article: Edition

36

VTMBH Article: Article Order

5

VTMBH Article: Title

Flushing has become the second-largest banking area in New York; deposits exceed $3 billion

VTMBH Article: Author

Chan Yek Kuang

VTMBH Article: Publication

Sing Tao Daily

VTMBH Article: Original Language

Chinese

VTMBH Article: Translator

Xiaoqing Rong

VTMBH Article: Section

news

VTMBH Article: Blurb

Managers of both the international banks and Chinese-run banks agree that as more and more new Chinese immigrants and Chinese-run banks rush in, there is no limit to the potential demand for banking services in Flushing.

VTMBH Article: Keywords

VTMBH Article: Body

The United Orient Bank (UOB), a Chinese investment bank which has been in Manhattan for 19 years, recently opened its first Queens branch on Main Street, in Flushing. It joins the eight Chinese-run banks in Flushing and plays an important role in Flushings development and prosperity. The eight, including Bank of Asia, Bank of East Asia, Great Eastern Bank, Amerasia Bank, Cathay Bank, General Bank, Chinatrust Bank and The Chinese American Bank, plus Korean-run banks and some big international banks, have cemented Flushings position as the second-biggest banking area in New York City.

According to statistics from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), total deposits in Flushing banks exceeds $3 billionan amount second only to the Chinatown area in Manhattan. Managers of both the international banks and Chinese-run banks agree that as more and more new Chinese immigrants and Chinese-run banks rush in, there is no limit to the potential demand for banking services in Flushing.

By crossing the East River and stretching its arms to Flushing, the UOB made clear its high expectations of the Flushing market. UOB Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager Wenqin Lee said that Flushings rapid development in the last decade, and the surging crowds of Chinese as well as other Asian immigrants, are the major reasons UOB opened a Flushing branch. Lee admits that, as a newcomer, the UOBs Flushing branch faces intensive competition from the eight other American, Chinese, or Taiwanese-run banks. Competition and business is indivisible. The key is how to offer better service to your customers, he said. He added that the UOB will focus on Chinese customers, especially those immigrants from mainland China, who constitute at least 70 percent of the Chinese population in Flushing. We understand, for new mainland immigrants, the need to send money to their families still in China. Weve talked with the China Agriculture Bank and China Bank about the possibility of cooperating to provide faster and more convenient service on remittance.

Bin Dai, the New York area general manager of the Cathay Bank, which based in Los Angeles, doesnt think competition among Flushing banks is intense. Dai said that in their Flushing branch, the fastest growing deposit catalog is the deposit from the mainland China immigrants. It means mainland Chinese replaced Taiwanese, who dominated this area ten years ago, as the majority in Flushing. More and more mainland immigrants are coming, and at the same time, more and more mainland businesses are investing in Flushing. The banking demand in Flushing continues to exceed the services. It is still a sellers market.

Jianchang Zeng, vice president of the Flushing branch of the internationally renowned Chase Bank, describes Flushing as a diversified community which has the most potential for banking business. Zeng said that at his branch, Chinese are the biggest customer group, at 40 percent of its deposit base. Koreans, who comprise 20 percent, follow. The rest is shared by white, Hispanic and African American. It clearly shows that Chinese people are the major power for Flushing banks, said Zeng. Chase Banks Flushing branch set up a network with some other international banks in Flushing to provide net service for customers. As for the nine Chinese-run banks, Zeng said, they promote the prosperity of all the banking businesses, rather than bringing competitve pressure to bear on one another.

The nine Chinese-run banks are clustered on Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, and the Korean banks are on 39th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue. They also contribute to the prosperity. Korean banks in this area include Nara Bank, Woori America Bank, Liberty Bank of New York, Chohung Bank of New York.

The international bank HSBC has three branches in Flushing. Citibank and Chase Bank are only divided by 39th Avenue. According to insiders, the three international banks have drawn more than $2 billion in deposits from Chinese customers, again proving the significant role of the Chinese market in Flushing.

VTMBH Article: Line Breaks

1

VTMBH Article: Date

2002-09-17

VTMBH Article: Thumb

VTMBH Article: Article File

VTMBH Article: Hit Count

148

Citation

“Flushing has become the second-largest banking area in New York; deposits exceed $3 billion,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed November 23, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/1467.