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Comment ("We are in talks with one to two banks, and the matter issubject to pricing," the newspaper quoted the bank's chairman,David Li, as saying.
The deal could result in the Hong Kong bank taking acontrolling stake in a Taiwanese lender, he said, but gave nofurther details.
Bank of East Asia, Hong Kong's fifth-largest lender, is alsoplanning an expansion in China by taking a stake in a locallender, Li said.
The bank has teamed up with German partner Union AssetManagement and a Chinese wealth management firm to launch anasset management business in the country by the end of the year,Li added.
However, Li said it was difficult for the bank to return topositive growth this year, because its core business growth couldbe offset by further writedowns on collateral debt obligations(CDOs). He said the bank could resume positive growth in 2009 and2010.
The Bank of East Asia had in August posted a...
