ICBC to take over Bank of East Asia US unit

The first China acquisition of U.S. retail bank is a strategic move for ICBC to further its global expansion

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. agreed to the first Chinese takeover of a U.S. retail bank, boosting financial ties between the two largest economies as President Hu Jintao concluded a four-day visit.

ICBC, the world’s biggest lender by market value, will buy 80 percent of Bank of East Asia Ltd.’s U.S. unit for $140 million, the two companies said in an e-mailed statement Sunday. Both banks are seeking regulatory approval in the U.S. and China for the transaction, according to the statement.

The acquisition would give Beijing-based ICBC 10 branches in California and three in New York as a platform for growth in the U.S. The deal was one of as many as 60 signed between Chinese and U.S. companies during Hu’s visit as he met with executives from both nations to promote closer economic relations.

“It’s no coincidence that the timing of the announcement of this deal comes while President Hu Jintao is visiting the U.S.,” Mike Werner, a Hong Kong-based senior analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., wrote in a note. “From a political standpoint, it will be an interesting development to see if ICBC is granted approval” to buy the assets, he said.

View the full story in The Wall Street Journal.