The Locational Distribution of Foreign Banks in China: A Disaggregated Analysis

HE C. and YEUNG G. The locational distribution of foreign banks in China: a disaggregated analysis, Regional Studies. This paper examines the location choices made by foreign banks of different organizational form and size in China. Results from the conditional logit models suggest smaller foreign banks tend to pursue the 'follow-the-customer' strategy, while larger banks are likely to use the 'follow-the-competitor' strategy in China. The agglomeration effect is more important than the first-mover cities as a determinant of the location choices make by foreign banks in China. This finding could be partially explained by the location-bounded institutional variables that are unable to be fully reconciled with the recent deregulation policies.