Money withdrawal on mainland will improve: HKAB
The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) on Friday said the problem of Hongkongers having difficulty withdrawing money on the mainland should soon ease as banks across the border take steps to address the issue. HKAB chairman Sun Yu was speaking in Beijing during a visit by a delegation led by Eddie Yue, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. It marks the resumption of the delegation's annual visit to the capital since the outbreak of the pandemic. "After the reopening of borders, there are actually quite some Hong Kong customers who personally go to the mainland to handle banking business. So there may be some waiting time due to the large number of people," Sun said. "However, I believe that mainland banks have corresponding measures to continuously optimise their business processes and assist Hong Kong people in handling account matters. We believe that the situation will gradually improve in the future." Yue, for his part, said mainland authorities recognised the city's effort to maintain financial stability and investor confidence in recent years, and said they will continue to support Hong Kong as a "super-connector" and an international financial centre. On credit risk to Hong Kong banks presented by the mainland housing market, the HKAB chairman described it as "manageable" and "controllable". "The banks of Hong Kong have always followed a prudent approach in risk management and have been closely monitoring the situation. Therefore, we have always maintained a cautious and vigilant attitude towards changes in asset expenses," Sun said.