The Bank of East Asia (BEA) and JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), JCB's International subsidiary, today jointly announced the launch of the BEA JCB PLATINUM Card, the first JCB Platinum Card in Hong Kong.  In celebration of this launch, BEA and JCB held a launch ceremony officiated by BEA's Chairman & Chief Executive, Dr. David K. P. Li, and JCBI's President & COO, Mr. Kenji Seto.

  BEA JCB PLATINUM Card is expected to appeal to a younger, status-conscious segment of consumers who are attracted to Japan's latest trends and coolest styles.  In Hong Kong, card issuer BEA has worked closely with many well-known Japanese brands and businesses to create a platinum-grade programme that caters to the tastes of this consumer segment.  In addition, Tokyo-based JCB has established a wide range of exclusive offers for JCB Cardholders in Japan and overseas, thus extending the value of BEA JCB PLATINUM Card to cardholders. 

  Speaking at the event, Dr. Li said, "We at BEA are very excited about our new partnership, because the BEA JCB PLATINUM Card is more than a credit card.  It is a lifestyle card.  It combines BEA's unmatched local knowledge with JCB's extensive ties to Japanese business throughout the world.  This unique combination will give holders of the BEA JCB PLATINUM Card access to a wide and exciting range of offers from local and international Japanese retailers, restaurants and more."

According to Mr. Seto, "Combining BEA's expertise in customer relationships and dynamic local operations with JCB's global acceptance network, we can expect a synergetic effect that will offer both BEA and JCB the opportunity to further expand the credit card market in Hong Kong.  With over 45 years of experience in the credit card industry, as well as growing business and customer networking in Asia, we at JCB are striving to deliver even higher quality services to our cardmembers in Hong Kong."

  BEA JCB PLATINUM Card offers cardholders an extensive range of year-round privileges including:
- Free copy of a popular Japanese fashion magazine when meeting the accumulated spending requirement of HK$3,000 or above per month
- Attractive 4X the standard cash rebate when spending at designated merchant locations in Hong Kong.
- Discounts and other offers at over 20 Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong
- 7-day worldwide travel insurance with coverage up to HK$300,000 for just HK$99
- Low cash advance handling fee of just HK$30
- Cash rebate of HK$1 for every HK$250 in retail spending
(standard cash rebate)

AboutThe Bank of East Asia
Incorporated in Hong Kong in 1918, BEA is dedicated to providing comprehensive retail and commercial banking services to its customers in Hong Kong, Greater China, and overseas. BEA is the largest independent local bank in Hong Kong, with total consolidated assets of HK$294.2 billion (US$37.83 billion) as of 31st December, 2006. The Bank is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is one of constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index. With more than 190 outlets worldwide, BEA operates an extensive international network covering Hong Kong and Greater China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the British Virgin Islands, and Southeast Asia. For more information on BEA, please visit any BEA branch or the Bank's homepage at www.hkbea.com/.