ANZ to sponsor the Australian pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010

ANZ CEO North East Asia, Alistair Bulloch, said: “This sponsorship is a wonderful chance for ANZ to support the cultural and business connections between Australia and our key market of China.

“More than 70 million people will visit the expo and seven million will visit the Australian pavilion, so it’s a unique opportunity to showcase Australia to the Chinese people.

“ANZ is Australia’s largest investor in China and we’ve been doing business in China for more than 60 years. We believe that the connections between Australia and China will grow even stronger in the years ahead, and we’re delighted to help build those connections through this important event,” Mr Bulloch said.

ANZ’s platinum sponsorship was announced today by Mr Bulloch and the Australian Minister for Trade, the Hon Simon Crean MP.

Australian Commissioner-General for Shanghai World Expo 2010 Peter Tesch said: “We are very pleased that the Australian pavilion will be sponsored by ANZ. As one of Australia’s leading businesses in China, ANZ is a perfect partner and we look forward to working together at the world’s biggest expo ever.”

ANZ is a top 40 bank globally and one of only 10 AA-rated banks in the world. ANZ regards China as a key market in its aspiration to become a super regional bank in Asia Pacific.

The Expo theme ‘Better City, Better Life’ resonates strongly with ANZ, which was rated the number one bank globally on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2007 and 2008.

ANZ opened its first office in Beijing in 1986 and currently has branches in Beijing and Shanghai, and a representative office in Guangzhou. ANZ also holds a 19.9% equity stake in Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank and a 20% stake in Bank of Tianjin.

ANZ recently announced plans to open a new rural bank in Liangping in Chongqing, which would contribute to the Chinese Government’s plans for rural development