BOC powers global expansion with tailored financial support

From tea brands popular in Southeast Asia and new energy vehicles thriving in Europe, to infrastructure construction in Latin America and energy investments across Africa, the globalization of Chinese companies is reaching new levels.

As a Chinese bank with strong globalization advantages and distinctive integrated capabilities, Bank of China, or BOC, provides all-around financial support for companies expanding overseas via platform services characterized by "global expertise accessible at any point of contact". By combining "financing plus intelligence", it has helped enterprises address many practical challenges, according to the bank.

New paradigm

On Oct 6, 2025, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government officially launched the GoGlobal Task Force initiative. The path for Chinese mainland enterprises to expand overseas through Hong Kong as a bridgehead has become much clearer, experts said. At the time, the corporate finance department at Bank of China (Hong Kong) was finalizing key procedures for a Guangdong province-based company to build a factory in Vietnam.

Recently, a BOC (Hong Kong) executive shared financial solutions for supporting enterprises' internationalization at the "Hong Kong — The Ideal Platform for Mainland Enterprises in Going Global" Promotion Conference, effectively assisting the Hong Kong government's GoGlobal Task Force initiative in its first large-scale promotional event held on the Chinese mainland.

This also reflects BOC's continuous service upgrades in response to new demands from businesses expanding overseas, according to the bank.

A white paper on serving enterprises going global, released by BOC, noted that optimizing global resource and element allocation, enhancing long-term local operational capabilities, and ensuring the safety of overseas assets and rights are currently the three core needs for companies expanding abroad.

With a long history of international operations and a wide global service network, BOC has built a comprehensive service ecosystem covering the entire life cycle, supporting enterprises as they extend industry chains overseas and integrate more deeply with local markets through tools such as project financing, trade financing and global cash management.

CMOC based in Henan province is a typical BOC client in terms of supporting enterprises going global. During a downturn in commodity prices, CMOC acquired Tenke Fungurume Mining and transformed itself into a copper-cobalt resource enterprise. Reflecting on the acquisition process, an executive from CMOC's funds management department said that apart from the initial commercial feasibility study and geopolitical risk assessments, the project's success relied heavily on financial services, including funding support, cross-border payments and foreign exchange management.

"A crucial part of the acquisition was securing sufficient financial support. CMOC, which focuses on stable operational development, pays close attention to balance sheet management and cash flow control. Therefore, major overseas project investments require sound financial planning," the executive said, adding that the company's first overseas project was supported by a syndicated loan led by BOC.

This is attributable to BOC's strong capabilities and global service advantages, experts said. BOC is a highly globalized Chinese bank, with institutions covering 64 countries and regions, including 45 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. It has achieved coverage of international financial centers, G20 member countries, 10 ASEAN countries and members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, providing enterprises with services characterized by "global expertise accessible at any point of contact".

By the end of June 2025, BOC had followed more than 1,300 corporate credit projects in BRI-related countries, providing credit support exceeding $400 billion.

Full chain

As the BRI advances and global industry chain layouts undergo deep adjustments, major cross-border projects have become an important strategic pillar for enterprises participating in international competition and cooperation, experts said. Such projects typically feature large investment scales, multiple participants, long construction periods and complex cross-border operations, placing high demands on project funding arrangements, risk management and sustainable operations.

Government efforts to improve the institutional environment supporting enterprises going global are ongoing. From nationally overall planning to departmental collaboration, a series of intensively issued measures are constructing a multi-level, full-chain support system for companies expanding overseas.

BOC understands these dynamics and provides high-quality full-chain services for enterprises developing abroad. It has implemented national strategies, supported centrally administered State-owned enterprises going global and collaborated with private businesses. According to the bank, regardless of the nature of the enterprise or the size of the project, every case it served demonstrates its platform advantages of "global expertise accessible at any point of contact", its ability to break down information barriers and the effectiveness of facilitating cross-border financial flows.

In Peru, the Chancay Port is a key project under China-Peru cooperation within the BRI and the first smart port in South America. To support joint BRI development, BOC has provided comprehensive financial services for the project.

During the preparation phase, the bank overcame challenges including diverse stakeholders, tight timelines and complex transaction structures. As the lead bank, it organized a syndicated loan for project construction. During the construction phase, BOC continued to offer services such as financial consultation and cross-border settlement, ensuring timely completion. Ahead of the port's operation, BOC assessed follow-up financial needs including working capital and settlement services, approved comprehensive credit limits, and signed a cooperation memorandum with the project company to support subsequent operations.

A centrally administered nuclear power SOE has expanded its overseas energy business in recent years, aiming to become a globally competitive, world-class clean energy group. The company uses Hong Kong as its regional management and fund operation center, extending its reach to Southeast Asia and global markets.

Through an integrated service mechanism, BOC (Hong Kong) and Southeast Asian institutions facilitated multiple syndicated loans, bridge loans and refinancing projects, and established a global cash management platform for the enterprise, significantly improving its fund utilization efficiency and risk management capabilities, according to BOC.

A Zhejiang province-based appliance company encountered multiple challenges during its first expansion into Thailand. BOC's Zhejiang branch, in collaboration with the Thailand subsidiary, provided the company with detailed information on Thailand's economic development plans, investment policies, tax incentives, labor regulations, export systems and approval procedures. The bank also assisted with foreign exchange capital account opening and remittance services, delivering one-stop financial solutions.