(23 June 2005 – China) Global investment bank UBS has said it is in talks with Bank of China with a view to taking a strategic stake in the bank.UBS said it would invest some US$500 million in BOC, which has been touting its wares to a number of foreign banks this year, including Deutsche bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of America.
“It is envisaged that such a partnership would include commercial cooperation in certain areas of investment banking yet to be agreed,” UBS said.
It said talks were continuing and that details were confidential at this stage.
In April, Royal Bank of Scotland was rumoured to be considering taking a 15 to 20 percent stake in BOC, sinking as much as US$3 to 4 billion into the bank.