Head Office is moved to 10 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong.

Branches are opened in Shanghai, China and Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam.

To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, BEA establishes a scholarship fund of HK$500,000 to support the development of higher education in Hong Kong.

BEA becomes the first local Chinese financial institution to introduce advanced technology to its operations by installing a state-of-the-art online computer system.

The first Hong Kong Dollar credit card, the East Asia BankAmericard, is launched with the Bank of America.

Saigon and Haiphong branches are closed.

BEA is one of the joint founders of Electronic Payment Services Company (Hong Kong) Limited, which enables electronic transfer of funds at points of sale.

BEA's first branch in the United States is opened in New York.

BEA becomes a principal member of VISA International and MasterCard International. BEA commences its own independent credit card operations.

Shenzhen Branch is opened in China .

BEA is one of the six founders of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited.

Second branch office in the United States is opened in Chinatown, New York.

BEA acquires full control of Blue Cross (Asia-Pacific) Insurance Limited together with associated companies, East Asia AEtna Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited and AEtna International Inc.

Xiamen Branch is opened in China.

Los Angeles Branch is opened in the United States.

Guangzhou and Zhuhai Branches are opened in China.

The Bank of East Asia (Canada), a subsidiary bank, is established in Toronto, Canada.

BEA acquires 50% of Heller Commercial Finance (HK) Limited, which is renamed East Asia Heller Limited (later renamed East Asia GE Commercial Finance Limited in 2004).

Dalian Branch is opened in China.

Fuzhou Representative Office is opened in China.

The Bank of East Asia (BVI) Limited, a subsidiary bank, is set up in the British Virgin Islands.

To celebrate its 75th Anniversary, BEA establishes a scholarship fund of HK$2 million to support the development of higher education in Hong Kong.

The first affinity card under the VISA and MasterCard brands, The University of Hong Kong Card, is issued.

The Bank of East Asia (Canada) opens its second Canadian branch in Vancouver.

BEA is chosen as the "Best Foreign Bank in China" by Euromoney.

BEA acquires United Chinese Bank Limited ("UCB").

Tianjin Representative Office is opened in China.

debis Financial Services China Limited is formed with Daimler-Benz Group and Lei Shing Hong Limited (later renamed DaimlerChrysler Services China Limited in 2001).

Labuan Branch is opened in Malaysia.

Taipei Branch is opened in Taiwan.

Kuala Lumpur Representative Office is opened in Malaysia.

Birmingham Branch is opened in the United Kingdom.

Shanghai Branch is relocated to Pudong, with the original Puxi Branch becoming a sub-branch.

BEA's Shanghai and Shenzhen branches obtain approval from the People's Bank of China ("PBOC") to operate RMB business serving foreigners and foreign-invested enterprises.

BEA acquires full ownership of Blue Cross (Asia-Pacific) Insurance Limited and sells its 50% interest in East Asia AEtna Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited.

The Bank of East Asia (Trustees) Limited, BEA's wholly-owned subsidiary, is qualified as an approved trustee by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority to provide MPF Master Trust Scheme Services.

Cyberbanking Service is introduced, providing comprehensive banking services via five electronic channels: Internet, Mobile Phone, PowerPhone^TM, Telephone, and Kiosk.

Cybertrading Service is launched. BEA becomes the first bank in Hong Kong to launch online stock trading service through its subsidiary East Asia Securities Company Limited.

BEA receives the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2000 as the "Best Domestic Bank in Hong Kong".

Cyberbanking and Cybertrading Services are winners of the Asian Banking Awards 2000 in the "New Business Venture" category.

BEA successfully acquires a controlling interest in FPB Bank Holding Company Limited, the holding company of First Pacific Bank Limited ("FPB").

BEA is granted approval to launch the MPF Industry Scheme. The Bank becomes one of only two service providers operating the Industry Scheme.

BEA acquires 60.1% interest in Secretaries Limited.

BEA acquires 24.5% of PT Bank Daiwa Perdania in Indonesia.

BEA is named "2001 Best Retail Bank in Hong Kong" as part of The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards 2001.

BEA receives the Omega Outstanding Technology and Financial Enterprise Award for "Best Retail Bank", organised by OMEGA and Capital Magazine.

BEA is recognised as one of "Hong Kong's Best Managed Companies" by FinanceAsia Magazine.

BEA wins the "2000 JP Morgan / FIA Best Asian Corporate Website Award".

UCB formally merges with BEA.

BEA completes its acquisition of FPB.

Secretaries Limited, BEA's subsidiary and joint venture with the New World Group and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, acquires 100% share interest in Abacus Share Registrars Limited.

Corporate Cyberbanking is launched.

Xi'an Branch is opened, the first by any foreign bank in the northwestern part of China.

BEA's first branch in the Macau Special Administrative Region is opened, further strengthening the Bank's coverage in the Pearl River Delta region.

BEA acquires Grand National Bank in the United States, allowing the BEA Group to expand its corporate banking activities on the West Coast.

A new corporate identity is unveiled and applied across the entire branch network in phases.

FPB completes merger with BEA.

SupremeGold, the Bank's premier wealth management service, is launched.

Tricor Holdings Limited, a joint venture of BEA (71.31%), New World Group (23%), and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (5.69%), acquires 100% shareholding in Tengis Limited.

BEA's second branch in Taiwan is opened in Kaohsiung, the first established by a Hong Kong bank in the city.

BEA obtains approval from the PBOC for all branches and sub-branches in China to offer a complete range of foreign currency services to all customers in China, including local enterprises and individuals.

BEA obtains official approval from the PBOC to offer Cyberbanking service to customers in Mainland China.  BEA is the first foreign bank ever sanctioned to offer Internet banking service in China.

Grand National Bank in the United States is renamed The Bank of East Asia (U.S.A.) N.A. ("BEA-USA").  

BEA receives the "Asian Banker Retail Product Excellence Award" for its innovative MyCyberWorld Internet banking product.

Share registration, corporate secretarial, and business support services are consolidated under Tricor Group, a majority-owned subsidiary of the BEA Group (over 70%).

BEA donates HK$2 million to The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine in support of the advancement of medical teaching and research at the University.

Beijing Branch is opened in China. It is the first foreign bank branch established in the capital following China's accession to the World Trade Organization.

Guangzhou Huanshilu and Shanghai Gubei Sub-branches are opened in China.

BEA obtains official approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission ("CBRC") for its Guangzhou and Zhuhai branches to offer RMB services to foreigners and foreign-invested enterprises, following the Bank's Dalian Branch, which received similar approval from the PBOC in 2002.

BEA-USA relocates its headquarters from Alhambra, California to New York with the opening of its first branch in New York City.

BEA establishes strategic alliances and signs formal cooperative agreements with five international banks: Resona Bank Limited, Japan; Unicredito Italiano, Italy; Hsinchu International Bank, Taiwan; Shenzhen Commercial Bank, China; and Banco Popular Español, Spain.

BEA wins Web Care Award 2004, Hongkong Post's Distinguished Partnership Award, and The Asian Banker's Excellence in Retail Financial Services Award 2003 for CyberWealth.

BEA offers Personal Renminbi Services including card acceptance service, China UnionPay RMB Debit Card, and RMB Credit Card in Hong Kong.

Chengdu Branch is opened in China.

Shenzhen Luohu Sub-branch is opened in China.

BEA's branches in Shanghai, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Xi'an are all licensed to conduct RMB business in China.

Corporate Cyberbanking launched in China.

BEA and the China Financial Certification Authority ("CFCA") sign a cooperation agreement to expand CFCA's Digital Certificate Registration Authority network.

BEA is the first foreign bank in China designated as a registration authority and authorised to offer digital certificates to customers.

BEA establishes strategic alliances and signs formal cooperative agreements with two international banks: Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the Philippines and Industriel et Commercial, France.