Seize Definite Opportunities and Deeply Integrate into China’s Financial Market—Interview with DBS Bank CEO Shushan Chen

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 1 — Title: Grasping Certainty Amid Opportunities and Deeply Integrating into China’s Financial Market — Interview with DBS Bank CEO Shushan Chen

Xinhua News Agency reporter Ren Jun

“Amid the current highly volatile global situation, the market lacks stability and certainty. China has a safe, stable, and transparent business environment, which provides strong support for companies developing in China.” Shushan Chen, CEO of DBS Bank Singapore, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency recently. She said China’s economy has shown strong resilience and profound momentum for transformation, and DBS will seize opportunities to expand its presence in China.

Chen said that new quality productive forces are becoming an important engine for China’s economic growth, helping achieve the targets for economic growth. Whether it is the standout development in the green and renewable energy sectors, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in enterprises, or the soaring growth in R&D investment in the biotechnology and healthcare industries, all of them are continuously injecting new momentum into economic development.

“China’s economic outlook continues to improve.” Chen predicted that over the next decade, the value chains of China’s manufacturing and services industries will undergo major upgrades, completing the leap from a “manufacturing hub” to a “value innovation core.”

In Chen’s view, the goals in the “15th Five-Year Plan” outline that China has proposed—covering high-quality development, scientific and technological innovation, green transformation, and high-level opening-up to the outside world—provide DBS with certain development opportunities.

Chen further said that China’s government is adopting macro policies that are more proactive and purposeful, demonstrating a determination to advance long-term structural reforms. From measures to stabilize and recover the real estate market, to the orderly expansion of domestic demand, and then to nurturing and growing emerging industries and future industries, policy certainty not only creates massive opportunities for industrial upgrading, but also effectively alleviates market concerns about systemic risks, giving global investors clearer expectations.

“For DBS, the Chinese market has important strategic significance.” Chen said that DBS Bank is continuing to deepen its focus on the Chinese market, empowering China’s new journey of high-quality development with professional financial services.

In supporting China’s new economic development, DBS has specifically formed teams to provide full lifecycle financial services for S&T innovation and technology companies in different fields and at different stages; in supporting Chinese companies to go global, through its digital economy team and local branches, it actively supports the scaled development of high-growth potential enterprises oriented toward global standards and brands; in serving China’s high-net-worth customer group, it plans to open more international wealth management centers……

Chen said that as China’s economy keeps moving toward new and better growth momentum and as RMB internationalization continues to advance in depth, and with the steady opening-up of the financial sector, DBS Bank’s related businesses in China have achieved relatively rapid development.

In 2021, it was established as the first China-Singapore joint venture securities company, and in 2024 it increased its shareholding ratio to 91%; in 2021, it strategically invested in Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank, becoming its largest shareholder; in 2023, it established DBS’s third global technology R&D center in Guangzhou, focusing on artificial intelligence technology innovation and application development; in 2025, it became the first Singapore local bank to serve as an RMB clearing bank, and was approved as an offshore direct participant in the Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS); in 2026, it obtained the qualification as lead underwriter for non-financial corporate debt financing instruments……

On promoting connectivity and interconnection, Chen said that DBS is committed to linking Southeast Asia with China’s financial markets, helping Chinese outbound companies complete RMB cross-border collections, and also actively participating in panda bond issuance to help international issuers broaden financing channels. “In 2025, DBS China participated in the issuance of panda bonds totaling RMB 65.8 billion, with a market share of 38%.”

Recently, Chen attended the 2026 annual meeting of the China Development Forum. She said the forum sent a clear message that China remains committed to promoting high-quality development amid an uncertain external environment, and that it will continue to expand high-level opening-up to the outside world—signals that further strengthened DBS’s confidence in developing its business in China. She believes that DBS China’s onshore and offshore businesses will achieve new development.

“China’s development path of openness and innovation provides valuable certainty for businesses worldwide,” Chen said. DBS Bank will continue to leverage its regional advantages, strengthen cross-border connectivity and interconnection, further promote the cross-border use and global rollout of the RMB, and support China’s high-level opening-up and development. (End)