This vault hasn't been opened yet. That's it. If it is opened, it will be fine. This is the vault of HSBC, although it is only a branch in Tianjin.

But since the ninth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, HSBC took the lead in establishing a branch in Tianjin, and HSBC has become the earliest and largest foreign bank in Tianjin.

The main businesses of HSBC Tianjin Branch are: First, it has the right to issue banknotes. It issues Mexican silver dollars with face values ​​ranging from one dollar, twenty-five dollars, fifty dollars and other denominations. It has issued and printed "HSBC Tianjin Branch" in Tianjin.

seven currencies. By the 22nd year of the Republic of China, the Bank of Tianjin issued banknotes amounting to 475,000 yuan.

The second is to borrow money from the Chinese government. "It has close cooperative relations with the Qing government and the Beiyang government. From the ninth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty to the sixteenth year of the Republic of China, it made a total of 48 official loans, totaling 338 million taels of silver.

. Obtained the custody rights of the two major tax sources of salt industry and customs."

The third is Tianjin's main settlement bank for foreign trade. Less than three years after the establishment of HSBC Tianjin Branch, Tianjin's import and export trade has undergone significant changes. In the ninth year of Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty, the British Consul General in Tianjin reported on the situation at that time: "HSBC Bank

There is a flourishing branch in this port, which allows Tianjin's foreign banks to enjoy the same convenience as Shanghai's foreign banks in terms of financial turnover. They can import directly, saving the cost of transshipment in Shanghai, and thus transporting goods to Tianjin at a lower price.

"

The fourth is to control Tianjin's foreign exchange market. "Before ten o'clock every morning, the foreign exchange brokers designated by the Association of Foreign Exchange Banks, chaired by HSBC, begin to solicit foreign exchange transactions from various banks. Depending on the supply and demand, refer to the Shanghai HSBC on that day.

The bank's price determines the market price of Tianjin that day." It can be said that HSBC Tianjin Branch controlled the finance of Tianjin and even North China at that time. Its successful model played an important role in promoting Tianjin to become "the largest financial center in the north." Therefore.

, HSBC Tianjin Branch has a special status.

Moreover, after the establishment of HSBC, it changed the practice of foreign banks in China that only focused on exchange and not deposits, and listed deposit business as one of the main businesses of the bank. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese people had no concept of deposits, and ordinary people had little money to save. Every day

Life is troublesome.

Therefore, the deposits of high-ranking officials are the focus of HSBC. In order to attract them, HSBC advertises the various benefits of savings and stipulates that depositor information must be kept strictly confidential. The Chinese and English sets of accounts are never disclosed to anyone. This trick is indeed effective. "Beihua"

"Good News" said that HSBC has become "an important symbol of gaining the trust of the Chinese people."

In fact, HSBC's actions won the hearts of many powerful people at the time. Officials in the Qing court and politicians in the Republic of China would rather take less interest, but also deposit the huge amounts of money gained from corruption and expropriation in HSBC to ensure safety. Years of wars, the situation

In times of turbulence, foreign banks have always been an important place to absorb deposit funds from Chinese people, taking advantage of their various advantages.

During the World War, Sino-foreign trade was hindered and the Chinese government's foreign debt borrowings decreased. However, HSBC's deposits from Chinese people increased rapidly. Because China's wealthy officials and businessmen were afraid that warlords would suddenly withdraw their money if they deposited it in local banks.

They often tried to hide their money, so they transported the silver to Shanghai and Hong Kong and deposited it in British banks, especially opening deposit accounts and current accounts at HSBC Bank...

By the end of the European War, the deposits absorbed by HSBC had greatly increased, which made up for the losses caused by the lack of government borrowing and the disconnection of international trade. After the outbreak of the European War, the chief executive of Citibank in Hankou once proudly said: "World War

It happened. The United States is a neutral country and Citigroup is a reliable bank. The Chinese people’s deposits will naturally be sent to Citigroup immediately.”

Sure enough, many new and old warlords, corrupt officials, wealthy businessmen, etc. have successively deposited their private funds into Citibank. Although the bank is picky in attracting deposits, such as a deposit of 1,000 yuan before opening an account, it only accepts Yuan Touxian, and the bank

For flat cash silver, the deposit period is at least half a year, and the annual interest rate is 1.5% to 2%, etc. The deposit amount has quickly increased from 1 to 2 million yuan to 4 to 5 million yuan.

BJ Citibank is unique in accepting deposits. It specially marks the words "Beiyang Datou" on the deposit receipts to indicate that when withdrawing money, it will be paid in cash and will not be affected by political turmoil and financial fluctuations.

As a result, this measure attracted dignitaries in power, bureaucrats in power, old people from the former Qing Dynasty, and gentry in the capital, all flocking to them. Such as

The regents of the Qing Dynasty Wang Zaifeng, Beile Zaitao, the surviving elder Jiang Guiti, Wang Huaiqing, warlords Li Chun, Cai Chengxun, prominent figures He Fenglin, Zhang Zuoxiang, Chongwen Gate Supervisor Hu Ruoyu, and Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce Wang Huaiqing all had large deposits in the bank. Among them, only

Regarding Cao Kun's election bribery, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate shared no less than 5 to 6 million yuan in bribes. More than 80% of it was absorbed by the bank as long-term and short-term deposits.

By the end of the European War, the deposits received by Citibank branches around the world were: US$1.991 million in New York, US$5.369 million in Panama, US$6.6 million in Santo Domingo, US$5.895 million in the Philippines, US$2.024 million in the Straits Settlements, and the Netherlands.

East India US$2.157 million, British India US$13.486 million, Japan US$8.088 million, the United Kingdom US$4.077 million, northern China US$30.846 million, and southern China US$10.857 million. Citibank's deposits in China accounted for approximately 10% of its domestic and foreign branches

Accounting for nearly half of all deposits, this shows the importance of branches in China to the bank.

The reasons are also complicated, and some good people have analyzed that: First, outsiders have the right to establish banks in China in accordance with the treaty without corresponding restrictions.

Second, outsiders have leased land in China, the concession is protected by force, and the consular jurisdiction is legally protected.

Third, domestic chaos was frequent, and funds from the mainland were concentrated in major trading ports. Most of the assets of the powerful and wealthy gentry were deposited in foreign banks. Moreover, frustrated politicians who fled to leased areas or abroad had their assets mostly deposited in foreign banks.

[In view of the general environment, fourthly, the Republic of China did not have an agency to manage foreign banks, nor did it have complete banking regulations.

Fifth, my country's customs duties, salt taxes, guaranteed indemnities and foreign debts are all deposited in foreign banks.

Sixth, the value of our currency fluctuates and people are uneasy, so they bid for foreign currencies and deposit them in foreign banks.

Seventh, due to the strong warehouses of foreign banks and the special circumstances of the concessions, Chinese banks and banks often entrust them with large quantities of inventory for safekeeping.

The steady inflow of deposit funds has provided a solid foundation for foreign banks to continue to expand their activities in China.

The total capital of HSBC Tianjin Branch has always been at the top of the foreign banks in Tianjin, accounting for nearly 20% of the total capital of foreign banks. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, its dominance was replaced by the Tianjin Branch of Yokohama Bank of Japan.
Chapter completed!