TAIPEI (TVBS News) — CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (CTBC Holding,中國信託金融控股) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Kumamoto Prefectural Government (日本熊本縣政府) on Monday (Aug. 19).
This agreement marks the first collaboration between a Taiwanese financial institution and the Kumamoto Prefectural Government, aiming to promote economic, tourism, and sports exchanges between two countries.
Acting President Rachael Kao (高麗雪) of CTBC Holding and Governor Takashi Kimura (木村敬) of Kumamoto Prefecture signed the MOU. Kao noted that CTBC Holding will support Taiwanese enterprises investing and setting up factories in Kumamoto, further extending cooperation to the tourism and sports sectors.
Governor Kimura expressed optimism about the partnership, highlighting the integration of Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain into Kumamoto. With flights between the two regions increasing to 11 per week, he plans to visit Taiwan at the end of August to expand collaborations with CTBC Holding and other industries.
CTBC Holding has signed MOUs with 29 Japanese financial institutions and partnered with Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd (日本三井不動產株式會社) as a consultant in June.
CTBC Holding has long invested in the Japanese market. Its subsidiary, CTBC Bank (中國信託商業銀行), established a Tokyo branch in 2000 and acquired Tokyo Star Bank (日本東京之星銀行) in 2014, making it the only Taiwanese financial institution with a subsidiary in Japan. CTBC Bank operates over 370 locations across 14 countries and regions, including North America, Southeast Asia, China, and Japan.
