Hong Kong, August 22, 2023 ,Airstar Bank (“Airstar Bank” or “Airstar”), a virtual bank in Hong Kong, is pleased to announce the official launch of its Stellar Corporate Banking Services starting from August. This move serves to bolster Airstar Bank's diverse range of offerings, catering to various customer segments, while driving the advancement of financial inclusion in Hong Kong.

With the gradual strengthening of economic and trade ties between Mainland China and Hong Kong since the border reopening, the number of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong has exceeded the ten million in the first half of this year1. This surge has created a wealth of opportunities for the city's retail and service industries. With the local economy sustaining its expansion trend in the first two quarters of this year2, Airstar Bank believes that Hong Kong businesses are poised for remarkable expansion. Therefore, Airstar Bank officially launches its corporate banking services, underpinned by cutting-edge technology. By harnessing innovative solutions, Airstar Bank aims to facilitate and empower the growth of corporates in Hong Kong.

In response to the government's policy direction and to strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international innovation and technology center, Airstar Bank provides corporate banking services targeting to all locally registered companies. Airstar Bank has also specially set up " Streamlined Corporate Account" to provide convenient account opening services to companies including SMEs. Companies can now apply remotely, and accounts can be opened within 48 hours at the earliest3. In addition, Airstar Bank will assign client service officers to provide support for corporate banking services and emergency inquiries.

Mr. Hu Wei, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Airstar Bank, said, “The previous sandbox tests have enabled us to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by SMEs and to further comprehend the market needs. Based on this experience, Airstar Bank has decided to launch Stellar Corporate Banking Services. Taking note of the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive's open and accommodating attitude towards innovation and technology corporates, Airstar Bank will continue to closely monitor such corporates in line with the government's policies and the trends in Hong Kong's economic development. In the future, we will leverage the resources of our shareholders and our expertise in digitalized supply chain finance to provide more efficient stellar banking services to the corporates in Hong Kong.”

Remarks:

1. The Hong Kong Tourism Board announced Hong Kong received 10.11 million mainland visitors in the first half of 2023.
2. The government announced Hong Kong’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.7% in the first quarter from a year earlier; The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) estimates, GDP increased by 1.5% in real terms in the second quarter of 2023 over a year earlier.
3. This is the fastest time to open an account and the actual time required may vary from case to case.

For more information, please visit https://www.airstarbank.com/en-hk/corporate

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Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Edmund Chan/ Grace Chiu
Tel: (852) 2894 6310 / (852) 2894 6320
Email: airstarbank@hkstrategies.com