As the 2010 Asian Games approach, ICBC as the only banking partner of the Guangzhou Asian Games is already well prepared to offer comprehensive financial services for the gala sports event. During the Asian Games, ICBC will make every endeavor to offer efficient and quality financial services for the grand event and all guests from around the world with passion and commitment, best delivery, innovative approaches, and cozy environment.

Guangzhou Asian Games will be the biggest Asia event with more than 32,000 athletes, officials and media reporters taking part in the sports event, which demands the highest level of complexity and quality in financial services. ICBC has made good preparation in terms of infrastructure, international service, staff training and service rules in order to build a world-class financial service network for the Asian Games. Three ICBC banking outlets in the Athletes Village, the Technical Officials' Village and the Main Media Centre(MMC) of the Guangzhou Asian Games Town started operations on November 5, 2010. Staffs at these outlets are taking rotating shifts and working extra hours to adapt to the schedule of the athletes, coaches, technical officials, media reporters and other service providers in the Asian Games Town. The banking outlet located at the Media Centre opens from 9am to 9pm and the other two at the Athletes Village and the Technical Officials' Village from 10am to 10pm. Besides, 148 key ICBC banking outlets located at the sports venues, airports, hotels and shopping malls in other Asian Games cities, important hubs and tourist cities, as well as 24-hour self-service banking, telephone banking, and internet banking services are all ready for the countdown of the Asian Games.

In the spacious hall of ICBC banking outlet at the Athletes Village of the Asian Games Town, many athletes from all over the world are using the ICBC banking services in a nice environment. ICBC staffs handle the account opening, local and foreign currency settlement, money exchange, domestic and international remittances while talking with the customers in fluent English. Here the "people-centric" service philosophy of ICBC is manifested in every corner. Customers can access to the Internet via free WiFi. Athletes from various countries not worry about unmatched voltage or sockets, for ICBC banking outlets are equipped with converters and sockets that accommodate different voltages and plug types. Two types of service counters are in use, one higher and the other with accessible lower level for the convenience of disabled athletes. The 24-hour automated exchange machines offer money exchange services around the clock.

Considering the international financial services in the Asian Games, ICBC has invested heavily in improving its international banking services. More outlets are set up in the Asian Games cities for the delivery of FX services. All these outlets are able to provide currency exchange services in over 9 foreign currencies; over two thirds can provide services in 18 foreign currencies, including Japanese yen, Hong Kong dollar, Macau pataca, Singapore dollar, Korean won, Thai baht and Philippine peso. Meanwhile, ICBC has set up a multi-lingual service platform. Every banking outlet and ATM carries bi-lingual notices and instructions. The 100 Asian Games service outlets in Guangzhou all have English-speaking counters. The 95588 Customer Service Line offers services in Japanese, French, Korean, Arab and other languages to meet the specific needs of foreign customers. Staffs have been trained on the folk customs and etiquette of Asian countries and are required to show hospitality of Chinese people to foreign customers with smiles and polite manners.

To serve the throngs of customers during the Games, ICBC has built a high-caliber team of customer managers and added more staffs at the banking outlets. A new system of "President-on-Site" is in place to have the outlet's president in the service hall to tackle problems that customers may encounter. Currently, all ICBC ticketing outlets are selling the left-over Asian Games tickets and provide ticket printing and collection services for customers who have bought tickets online. As the Asian Games is drawing near, a large number of people are expected to come to buy and collect tickets. ICBC has streamlined the working procedures and steps to ensure orderly ticket sales.

As another international gala event after the Shanghai Expo, the Guangzhou Asian Games offers a great opportunity for Chinese commercial banks to showcase premier services to the world, said an ICBC official. ICBC, being the only banking partner of the Asian Games, is striving to present a good image and example of China's banking sector to the world with a passion for customers and excellent services.