As the exclusive banking partner in Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, Bank of China has fulfilled its service promise and accomplished all tasks for the events. By providing services of zero complaint and zero error, the Bank has won the credit from customers at home and abroad.
Full efforts to ensure success of Olympic Games
Service facilities for Olympic Games
Bank of China has placed great emphasis on infrastructure construction. As of the end of June 2008, the Bank had renovated more than 4,600 of its outlets, most of which were equipped with ramps for the disabled, low counters and marks for barrier-free access. Temporary outlets can be seen in the Olympic Parks in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong. From 2005 to June 2008, the bank had put in use more than 8,000 ATMs, initiated foreign exchange services at 9,000 outlets and developed 220,000 appointed partners for bank cards. The Bank has set up more than 1,300 fixed and mobile foreign currency exchange outlets with nearly 40,000 POS machines in six host areas, thus achieving 100% acceptance of bank card payment at the merchants around the Olympic venues. The Bank has also conducted a constant check for Olympic technical risk and enhanced the capacity of information system against hacker and virus attack so as to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the system. With the implementation of transaction continuity plan, the Bank has been well-positioned for any emergency.
Picture on the left: Mr. Li Lihui, President of Bank of China, presenting Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee with the Olympic Commemorative Banknote issued by Bank of China
Olympic-themed Products
Bank of China has launched a variety of Olympic-themed products. "Bank of China VISA Olympic Credit Card", the world's first credit card with Beijing Olympics as the theme, has been warmly accepted by the market with an issuance volume of over 2.4 million. "Bank of China Visa HKD Prepaid Card Olympic Edition" has offered convenient services to Hong Kong and Macao residents visiting Beijing or the other host cities to watch the Olympic games. The Bank's another two novel products, namely the "Olympic Fuwa Etiquette Deposit Receipt" and the "Account for Growth with Olympics", have manifested both practical and commemorative values, and the "Olympic Temporary Accounts" have been opened as temporary RMB deposit accounts and foreign currency accounts to provide settlement, exchange and other financial services for overseas institutions and individuals during their temporary visits in China on the occasion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Bank of China has also issued the Olympic Commemorative Banknote in HKD and MOP, which stands with its counterpart in RMB issued by the People's Bank of China as the world's first set of Olympic-themed banknote, leaving a notable mark in the histories of modern Olympic Games and Chinese monetary development.
Bank of China introduced the "Fuwa Passbook" with Olympic features at the end of April 2007, which was well received by Bank of China's overseas customers as well as travelers and athletes from other countries during the Olympic Games.
On-site services
Bank of China sent out 3,930 employees during the Olympic and Paralympic Games to exclusively provide one-to-one financial services at the Olympic venues and designated places in seven host cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao and Hong Kong. The ATMs have been able to provide services in Chinese, English and French for the convenience of athletes, accredited staff, officials and journalists. The Bank has also offered foreign exchange services across 17 currencies with a supply of foreign currency in small denomination equivalent to USD 890 million. On-site outlets and 95566 Customer Service Center of Bank of China have put in extra shifts to furnish services in multiple languages including Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Arabian, as well as Cantonese, Taiwanese, Shanghainese and other dialects, which was unprecedented in the financial sector in China.
Bank of China's employees taking an oath before leaving for the temporary Olympic service outlets.
 Sales of Olympic Tickets
In April 2007, Bank of China signed the ticket sales agreement with Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), and became the main ticket agency for Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The Bank has selected 1,001 outlets for ticket sales, covering all the first- and second-tier cities in China. By dint of a meticulous plan, the Bank has accomplished the three-stage task of ticket sales with three million tickets of Olympic Games and Paralympic Games sold. The Bank has also assumed the responsibility for ticket printing and distribution (five million tickets distributed). More than 70% of the ticket buyers have preferred to pay the amount through their settlement accounts of the Bank during the stages of ticket sales.
Picture on the right: Beijing citizens receiving their Olympic tickets at Bank of China's outlet
Olympic licensing plan
On July 18, 2006, Bank of China became a licensed retailer of Beijing Olympic Games and started to sell licensed Olympic products as well as precious metals and medallions in about 500 categories via more than 700 outlets at home and abroad, which made itself the licensed retailer with the largest number of licensed Olympic product retail outlets and the largest sales volume. Bank of China Hong Kong Branch and Macau Branch are among the first group of Olympic licensed retailers outside Chinese mainland as designated by the international Olympic licensing plan.
Endeavor of Staff for the Success of Olympic Games
Participation by staff
As a sponsor of the Olympic Games, Bank of China has carried out a series of activities to popularize and promote the Olympic spirit, including the Olympic torch bearer selection themed "Lighting the Dream and Inheriting the Excellence", in which 245 representatives on various posts have stood out from 200 thousand employees at home and abroad through online voting, on-site selection and other procedures. The Bank has also held the photography and DV works competition themed "Harmony ? Olympics ? Volunteering ? Sharing", so as to stimulate the enthusiasm of employees to participate in and serve the Olympic Games.
Zhang Wannian, a 62-year old retired employee from Bank of China Fuxin Branch, had been publicizing Beijing Olympic Games by riding a bicycle across China on his own since Beijing won the bid for the Olympic Games in July 2001. For seven years he had travelled across more than 1,100 cities above county level in 32 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities as well as Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, covering the distance of 64,000 km. He had traversed T'ang-ku-la Mountains (5,231 m above sea level, marking the highest point of his tour), the extremely rugged Sichuan-Shaanxi passageway, Qinghai-Tibet Road on the oxygen-sparse and snow-topped plateau, the vast expanse of Gobi desert, the Taklimakan Desert - the sea of death, and the desolate grasslands in Inner Mongolia. On August 8, 2008, he arrived in Beijing with a banner stamped with seals of Bank of China's outlets he visited along his journey, and dedicated the support and blessings from staff of the Bank to Beijing Olympic Games.
Staff Training
Bank of China has formulated the Olympic Counter Service Standards and carried out an Olympic-themed service training and skill test for its employees. About 100,000 front-line clerks from the Bank have received comprehensive training through such activities as the "Olympic service month", the "Olympic financial service skill contest", the "Olympic bilingual speech contest", and the "Olympic etiquette knowledge and skill evaluation". In addition, more than 14,000 employees have received professional training on the foreign language, etiquette and services for the disabled, and the 300 core members to provide services in the Olympic and Paralympic Games have participated in the off-the-job training in turn. The staff training has made great contribution to the "civilized" and quality services of the Bank.
Picture on the left: Bank of China's Olympic service skill training
Bank of China has selected nearly 4,000 employees who are skilled at foreign languages and dialects of ethnic minorities and are experienced in foreign services from Bank of China's global institutions to provide financial services in the Olympic host cities together with over 400 volunteers. These personnel of different skin colors have presented a splendid landscape of the Bank's Olympic financial services.
Bank of China has provided customers at home and abroad with multi-lingual financial services.
Support for Olympic Public Activities
Bank of China's Assistance to Olympic Torch Relay
On January 4, 2008, Bank of China was proud to become the supplier of Beijing 2008 Olympics Torch Relay. Since then, it has rendered energetic support for the relay in forms of monetary sponsorship, technological investment and market promotion. It has provided BOCOG with banking service support on capital settlement, cash management and the like based on its financial safeguard scheme for overseas torch relay and its global network.
During the Olympic Torch Relay outside Chinese mainland, the expatriates and local staff from Bank of China, wearing festive attires and holding banners, voluntarily formed a torch-welcoming team to support the cross-border relay of Olympic torch. Bank of China's overseas branches contacted the local Chinese embassies to contribute personnel and fund, and organized a series of activities entitled "A Close Look at the Olympic Torch" in Alma-ata, London, Paris, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Canberra, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City and the like. The staff and customers may be allowed to touch the torch, as an effort to stimulate the passion of the public to participate in and support the Olympic Games.
Staff of Bank of China London Branch greeting the Olympic torch
Students to Experience Olympic Games under the Auspices of Bank of China
Bank of China has held a series of well-responded events to popularize the Olympic-related knowledge and promote the Olympic spirit among college students, including "Bank of China Cup Nationwide Olympic Knowledge and Etiquette Contest for College Students", and "Bank of China Cup Olympic Knowledge Award-winning Quiz for College Students", participated by Peking University, Tsinghua University, University of Hong Kong, Macau Polytechnic Institute and other notable colleges. In addition, the Bank has sponsored the "2008 Olympic Champion Forum", and co-hosted with Peking University an outstanding youth selection activity named "I Am the Champion", which has covered more than 30 major colleges and universities nationwide, and the ten student winners are entitled to meet such elites as Juan Antonio Samaranch and Henry Alfred Kissinger.
Mr. Xiaogang, Chairman of Board of Directors of Bank of China, giving a speech at the Olympic Champion Forum.
Mr. Li Lihui, President of Bank of China, Mr. Xu Zhihong, then-Principle of Peking University and Professor Alan Snyde from the University of Sydney, the founder of Olympic Champion Forum, taking picture with the representatives of outstanding youths
Bank of China's Support for Olympic Construction
As a partner of overseas fund-raising for the construction of "Water Cube" (National Aquatics Center), Bank of China has made the most of its global service network to distribute promotional literatures, exempt or reduce handling fees and provide remittance services for overseas Chinese compatriots and foreign friends, whose donations have topped RMB 1 billion. The Bank has also provided loans amounting to RMB 23.5 billion to support the construction of Beijing Subway Line 10, Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal Three and other key projects.
 Bank of China to Cherish Children's Olympic Dream
Bank of China and Hong Kong Wen Wei Po have jointly held the Olympic-themed animation competition with the theme of "My Olympics" among the adolescents in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, who are thus entitled to deliver their wishes and expectations to Beijing Olympic Games in such a unique manner. The Bank has also held Bank of China Olympic Summer Camp for three consecutive years. An Olympic-themed activity sponsored by the Bank, entitled "Beijing Olympic Tour of Little Ambassadors from 56 Ethnic Groups", was held on April 16, 2008. It aims to publicize the concept of "One World, One Dream", promote the cultural integration of different ethnic groups, and arouse the attention of the whole society to the disabled children.
Picture on the left: a kid of ethnic minority kissing the Olympic torch
Community Activities and Olympic Forum Organized by Bank of China
 Bank of China has organized all kinds of Olympic campaigns around China, including the national circuit exhibition of sports pictures entitled "Centennial Olympics and Centennial Bank of China", the "Olympic Financial Services in the Communities", the "Olympic Cultural Festival", the "Olympic Experience Day", and community sports and cultural activities such as the "Olympic family". The Bank has also taken part in the exhibition of "Olympic Cultural Park" in Olympic host cities, sponsored the CCTV National Olympic Host Selection and, for two successive years, the "Olympic Economic Forum" to spread and promote the Olympic spirit and culture.
Picture on the right: Children from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan drawing pictures to convey their expectations to Beijing Olympic Games
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