On 23rd October 2025, the Faculty of Finance of City University of Macau held a finance seminar, China Life—Guangfa Bank Joint Lecture at Ho Yin Conference Center in Taipa Campus. The seminar featured Mr. Gan Zhen, Senior Client Manager of Transactional Banking Department at China Guangfa Bank Co., Ltd. Macau Branch, was invited as the keynote speaker. The seminar focused on the theme: “Transactional Banking : From Global Practices to Greater Bay Area Innovation.” Distinguished guests included Ms. Li Mengqing, Senior Client Manager of Transactional Banking Department at China Guangfa Bank Co., Ltd. Macau Branch, as well as Dean Adrian Cheung and Associate Dean Eva Khong of the Faculty of Finance.
During the seminar, Mr. Gan pointed out that against the backdrop of evolving global economic landscapes and the rapid development of financial technology, transaction banking has become a crucial direction for the transformation and upgrading of commercial banks. He provided an in-depth analysis of the origins, development, and future trends of transaction banking, showcasing the innovative practices and achievements of Guangfa Bank Co., Ltd. within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Transaction banking originated in the 1980s. With the advancement of international trade and globalization, the growing demand from enterprises for cross-border financial services has driven the banking industry to transition from traditional services towards integration and digitalization. The rise of transaction banking is attributed to fierce competition within the industry, the diversification of corporate needs, and the development of network technology. Analyzing its characteristics from the perspectives of banks, clients, and regulators, he noted that transaction banking, with cross-border payment and settlement, cash management, and trade finance at its core, features low capital occupancy, low risk, and stable returns. It performed particularly well during financial crises, making it a key light-asset business for the banking sector.
Mr. Gan used Deutsche Bank and China Merchants Bank as examples to illustrate the practices of globally leading banks in the field of transaction banking. He emphasized that transaction banking must possess robust transaction processing capabilities, a global payment and settlement network, and comprehensive information analysis capabilities across industries. Currently, challenges include difficulties in integrating resources from traditional departments, the lack of unified regulatory standards for new technologies (like blockchain), and a shortage of professional technical talent and comprehensive financial talent. He pointed out that the trends for transaction banking are standardization: establishing business standards, and globalization: achieving seamless connectivity of services. He further stated that strategies for breakthrough and innovation involve enhancing user experience, ensuring policy compliance, and fostering financial innovation.
Mr. Gan elaborated that Guangfa Bank Co., Ltd. Macau Branch, as a Chinese-funded bank with thirty years of deep roots in Macau, actively responds to national policies and supports the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In the realm of transaction banking, the bank focuses on the following areas: Supporting strategic emerging industries and green finance. Since 2024, the cumulative issuance of loans to strategic emerging industries, green loans, and sci-tech innovation loans has each exceeded tens of billions of patacas, injecting financial momentum into regional innovation and environmental protection industries, thereby fulfilling the social responsibility of financial institutions. Serving as the exclusive underwriter for major Macau government engineering projects. In cross-border corporate services, through convenient online banking and direct corporate-bank connectivity systems, seamless integration between enterprise and bank systems is achieved, accelerating capital flow, supporting state-owned enterprises in "going global," providing strong backing for SOEs in transnational operations, and expanding their international market presence. Actively fostering Guangdong-Macao integration in Hengqin, implementing the "Hengqin 30 Measures," providing convenient financing channels for enterprises in Zhuhai and Hengqin, promoting regional coordinated economic development, and thereby fostering the growth of local enterprises and economic prosperity.
During the Q&A session, Mr. Gan actively interacted with the students. The students asked questions enthusiastically and expressed that the opportunity to engage with professionals from the financial industry was highly beneficial. They looked forward to more industry experiences and expressed strong interest in gaining further understanding of finance in the Greater Bay Area. The faculty and students of the Faculty of Finance once again expressed their gratitude to Mr. Gan for his insightful analysis and valuable experience sharing, which enhanced the students' understanding of transaction banking and provided them with a precious learning opportunity.