BOCHK is also the biggest member and a founder of[clarify] the JETCO ATM and payment system, and the designated clearing bank in Hong Kong for transactions involving the Renminbi (RMB / CNY).

[4] The head office is shared with the Hong Kong units of its parent company; it was completed in 1988 and was the first building outside North America to exceed 1,000 feet (305 m) in height.

As all of the new capital was from the Chinese government, private ownership in the public-private banks was substantially reduced, in some cases to less than 1%.

The Bank of China Group started to restructure its operations in 1999 in preparation for an initial public offering.

However, partly to clear up confusion between it and its parent in the mainland, it shifted all of its mainland-based business to Nanyang Commercial Bank in 2007.

BOCHK has been the designated clearing bank for personal transactions involving the Renminbi (CNY, the currency of mainland China) in Hong Kong since February 2004.

In return, BOCHK takes a 0.125% cut of all RMB deposits in Hong Kong that are repatriated back to mainland China.

The chief executive of Hong Kong announced on 18 November 2003 that the People's Bank of China had agreed to provide clearing arrangements, marking for the first time that the Renminbi, which is fully on the current account but not on the capital account, has been allowed to clear outside of mainland China.

Nanyang primarily focuses on corporate customers, in particular small and medium-sized trading and manufacturing companies.

Since its founding, it has spent more than HK$1 billion in education in the province, primarily through funding Jimei University and its related schools.

This is a legacy from its acquisition of Nanyang Commercial Bank, which ran a travel agency for the convenience of its Southeast Asian customers.

The structural expressionism adopted in the design of this building resembles growing bamboo shoots, symbolising livelihood and prosperity.

While its distinctive look makes it one of Hong Kong's most identifiable landmarks today, it was the source of some controversy at one time, as the bank is the only major building in Hong Kong to have bypassed the convention of consulting with feng shui masters on matters of design prior to construction.

BOCHK subsequently reorganised and tightened internal controls, and made several executive appointments via a global replacement effort.

A former CEO of BOCHK, Liu Jinbao, was abruptly transferred back to Beijing to become vice-chairman of Bank of China in May 2003.

Investigations subsequently found Liu to have "committed economic crimes" in connection with his previous appointment as the head of the Shanghai branch of the Bank of China.

Liu, along with three other senior managers, were also alleged to have made "unauthorised distribution for personal purposes" of funds belonging to the Bank of China before BOCHK was established.

A special committee appointed by BOC (Hong Kong) Holdings in consultation with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority found that the granting of a HK$1.77 billion bridge loan to Chau Ching-ngai (sometimes referred to as Zhou Zhengyi depending on transliteration), involved risks identified at the start (that) were not addressed adequately and was granted despite serious reservations expressed by the Risk Management Department (BOCHK).