The Bank of East Asia (BEA) is the largest independent bank incorporated in Hong Kong and the only one of its size still run by its founding family: incorporated in 1918, listed in Hong Kong under stock code 23, led by Executive Chairman Sir David Li with his sons Adrian and Brian Li as Co-Chief Executives. For a private client it offers a three-step wealth ladder — SupremeGold, SupremeGold Private and BEA Private Banking — with entry well below the global banks and a mainland network of 38 cities through BEA China. The price is a balance sheet heavier in commercial real estate than its peers and a bank that publishes only part of its thresholds.
History and the Li family
BEA was incorporated in Hong Kong in 1918 and opened its Shanghai branch in 1920 — a mainland presence that predates the People's Republic and explains why cross-boundary business is the bank's home ground. Sir David Li joined in 1969, became Chief Executive in 1981 and Chairman in 1997; on 1 July 2019 he handed the executive role to his sons and stayed on as Executive Chairman. Adrian Li, who joined in 2000 and ran corporate banking, and Brian Li share the Co-Chief Executive title; their uncle Arthur Li is Deputy Chairman.
Family control is managerial rather than proprietary. The 2025 Annual Report records Sir David's interest at 5.47% of issued shares, while the three largest holders are strategic investors: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation with 19.75%, Spain's Criteria Caixa with 19.25% and Guoco Group of the Malaysian Quek family with 16.49%. Two foreign financial groups thus hold close to two-fifths of the equity.
Licence, ratings and balance sheet
BEA is a licensed bank incorporated and domiciled in Hong Kong, registered at 10 Des Voeux Road Central, supervised by the HKMA under the Banking Ordinance and a member of the Deposit Protection Scheme, which covers HK$800,000 per depositor per bank. Its ratings, all with stable outlooks, are S&P A-/A-2, Moody's A3/P-2 and JCR A+.
| Group indicator, 31 December 2025 | Value |
|---|---|
| Total consolidated assets | HK$921.0 billion; HK$936.9 billion (US$119.5 billion) at 30 June 2026 |
| Deposits from customers / gross loans | HK$706.6 billion / HK$549.3 billion; loan-to-deposit ratio 75.3% |
| Profit attributable to owners | HK$3,501 million (−24.0%) |
| CET1 / total capital ratio | 24.7% / 28.2% under the Basel III final reform package in force in Hong Kong from 1 January 2025 |
| Impaired loan ratio | 2.69%; 77% of the year's loan provisions related to commercial real estate |
The 2025 results show where the pressure sits: pre-provision operating profit was flat at HK$11.2 billion, but HK$5.6 billion of impairments and a HK$723 million write-down of investment properties cut attributable profit by a quarter. Capital is unusually thick — a CET1 ratio near 25% leaves room to absorb further property losses.
The wealth ladder
The three tiers share one licence and one onboarding stack, so moving up is a re-designation rather than a new account.
| Tier | Entry level | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| SupremeGold | The SupremeGold fee schedule sets a HK$250 monthly fee, waived at an average daily relationship balance of HK$500,000 (or HK$300,000 in investments, a HK$3 million mortgage, HK$60,000 monthly payroll or HK$100,000 in annual AIA premiums) | Relationship manager, 41 SupremeGold Centres, preferential deposit rates, fee waivers, UK and Greater Bay Area mortgage desks |
| SupremeGold Private | "Clients with assets of HK$5,000,000 or above" — the only threshold stated on the bank's tier page | Senior Relationship Manager, specialists in investment, insurance, retirement and estate planning, private concierge, the SupremeGold Private Centre in Central, CENTENNIAL World Elite Mastercard |
| BEA Private Banking | No published minimum; at the November 2020 launch of SupremeGold Private a bank spokesperson told International Adviser that private banking started at HK$8 million in assets under management | Advisory, bonds, equities and FX, structured products, custody, securities financing, family trusts and estate planning, private investment companies, premium financing, Capital Investment Entrant Scheme support |
SupremeGold dates from 2002; the same 2020 statement put its entry at HK$500,000 — the balance at which the fee falls away today. SupremeGold Private, launched on 18 November 2020, is the tier the bank pushes hardest: its account count rose 30.4% in 2025. Private Banking grew operating income by more than 20% that year and sourced over half of its new relationships from the mainland.
Fees that matter for a cross-border client
The August 2026 General Services schedule is where the tier discount becomes visible.
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Inward telegraphic transfer | HK$65, waived from 10 August 2026 for Supreme, SupremeGold and SupremeGold Private accounts; inward CHATS HK$15, waived likewise |
| Outward telegraphic transfer at a branch | HK$50 handling for SupremeGold against HK$200 for other accounts, plus a cable charge of HK$100 to a BEA overseas branch or HK$130 to another bank |
| Outward transfer via BEA Online or the app | HK$20 handling plus HK$80 cable; local HKD and RMB transfers free |
| Commission in lieu of exchange | 0.25%, minimum HK$100, maximum HK$1,000; waived for HKD and USD remittances to the mainland |
A SupremeGold client pays a quarter of the branch handling fee on outward wires and nothing on inward ones; the mainland corridor is priced as domestic. Private Banking pricing is bespoke.
Opening an account as a non-resident
BEA runs no remote track for foreigners: the individual account checklist assumes an applicant at a Hong Kong branch or copies certified by a Hong Kong lawyer, accountant, chartered secretary or notary. A non-HKID holder brings a valid passport; address proof is required for an all-in-one account or an investment sub-account, and for non-Hong Kong residents the bank accepts a government-issued photographic driving licence or national identity card showing the address, or bank statements issued within the last three months by a bank in an equivalent jurisdiction. The bank may request more information — the Hong Kong formula that in practice covers source of funds and account purpose; the Source of Funds guide sets out that file.
One exception: a mainland resident can open a Hong Kong SupremeGold account through BEA China's Account Opening Witnessing Arrangement at a designated mainland branch. Every client signs FATCA and AEOI self-certifications, and BEA reports under Hong Kong's automatic exchange, so the account is visible to the tax authority of the declared residence. The wider market is described in Opening a Bank Account in Hong Kong; investor-visa applicants will find the scheme itself in Hong Kong Residency.
BEA China and the cross-boundary channel
BEA's distinguishing asset is its mainland subsidiary. The Bank of East Asia (China) Limited, headquartered in Shanghai, was among the first foreign banks to incorporate locally in 2007 and the first to issue RMB debit and credit cards on the mainland. At end-2025 it ran 29 branches and 30 sub-branches in 38 cities, 20 of them in the Greater Bay Area, and held HK$194.6 billion of deposits; its impaired loan ratio of 3.36% is higher than the group's, reflecting mainland property exposure.
The "OneBank" model wires the two sides together: Hong Kong relationship managers and BEA China teams share clients, and a Global Services Centre in Guangdong handles operations for both. For an individual the outputs are the witnessing service, Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect for Hong Kong residents, commission-free HKD and USD remittances to the mainland, and UK buy-to-let mortgages arranged from Hong Kong at up to 70% of value. BEA China is not an authorized institution under the Hong Kong Banking Ordinance; deposits there sit under mainland deposit insurance. How BEA compares with mainland-owned banks for settlement is in the map of Chinese banks.
Compliance posture and risk factors
Hong Kong implements only UN Security Council sanctions; the HKMA's circular of 8 August 2020 told banks that unilateral sanctions imposed by foreign governments "have no legal status in Hong Kong" while requiring each to assess the legal, business and commercial risks involved. BEA's answer is shaped by its footprint: its New York and Los Angeles branches operate under US law and its London, Birmingham and Manchester branches under UK law, so screening against OFAC and UK lists is structural rather than a policy choice. The bank publishes no country-by-country acceptance policy; decisions on non-resident applicants are individual. The mechanics are in Sanctions Screening at a Financial Operator.
Where BEA fits and where it does not
BEA suits a client who wants a Hong Kong-incorporated bank with a real mainland network and an entry ticket far below private banking at the global houses: a family with business in the Greater Bay Area, an owner of UK rental property who wants the mortgage and the collection account in one place, or an investor-visa applicant. It also works as a second, operational bank alongside HSBC Hong Kong or Standard Chartered Hong Kong, because SupremeGold pricing is transparent and inward remittances are free.
It fits less well where the client needs a published private-banking minimum and multi-jurisdiction booking — Hang Seng Bank publishes its Prestige thresholds, HSBC books in Singapore, London and Zurich — or cannot appear in Hong Kong and is not a mainland resident. RMB clearing at scale belongs to Bank of China (Hong Kong). Within Hong Kong as a platform, BEA is the local bank with the deepest mainland roots — and the property book that comes with them.
Q/A
What is the real entry threshold for SupremeGold?
The fee schedule is the closest thing to a published minimum: the HK$250 monthly fee is waived at an average daily relationship balance of HK$500,000, or with HK$300,000 in investments, a HK$3 million mortgage, HK$60,000 monthly payroll or HK$100,000 in annual AIA premiums. The bank told the press in 2020 that SupremeGold required HK$500,000 — the same level.
What does SupremeGold Private add for HK$5 million?
A Senior Relationship Manager, a specialist team for investment, insurance, retirement and estate planning, a private concierge, the SupremeGold Private Centre in Central and the CENTENNIAL World Elite Mastercard. The HK$5 million figure is on the bank's own tier page.
Does BEA publish a private-banking minimum?
No. The Private Banking pages list services but no threshold. The only figure on record is HK$8 million in assets under management, cited by a bank spokesperson to International Adviser in November 2020 — an indication, not a tariff.
Can a non-resident open an account without visiting Hong Kong?
Only a mainland Chinese resident can, through BEA China's witnessing arrangement. Everyone else opens at a Hong Kong branch or supplies copies certified by a Hong Kong lawyer, accountant, chartered secretary or notary, with a passport and home-country address proof — a photographic driving licence, a national ID with the address or recent statements from a bank in an equivalent jurisdiction.
Who actually controls the bank?
Management is the Li family — Sir David Li as Executive Chairman, Adrian and Brian Li as Co-Chief Executives — but ownership is not: Sir David's disclosed interest is 5.47%, against 19.75% for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, 19.25% for Criteria Caixa and 16.49% for Guoco Group.