Taiwan

The state’s policy banks have a low profile, both at home and abroad, but a loan scandal has forced Taipei to shake up leadership and make the banks more international. The chair of Taiwan Business Bank discusses the industry’s future.

Cathay United Bank was the first lender to adopt the Equator Principles, back in 2015, and it continues to promote them, encouraging customers and peers to follow suit.

Taiwan Business Bank has never wavered from its original remit: providing invaluable financial services to small and medium-sized enterprises.

When asked to identify a key long-term priority, E.Sun president and chief executive Joseph Huang points to the importance of the lender’s digital solutions. Every bank is big on digital these days, but some take it more seriously than others.

CTBC Bank has long been a leader in private banking in Taiwan.

Citi is the clear winner of the award as best international bank, a lender that, unlike some others, has never wavered in its commitment to the island’s economy.

When it comes to corporate and investment banking in Taiwan, Yuanta Securities remains the institution to beat. It ranked top in debt capital markets volumes in the 12 months to the end of March, completing 40 deals worth $2.3 billion, for a 14.5% share of the market, according to data from Dealogic.

There are bigger banks in Taiwan, but none better right now than E.Sun.