CREDIT Agricole , France’s second-biggest listed bank, has become the latest foreign lender to boost its China investment banking operations with the launch of a new unit.

The new unit, Credit Agricole (Beijing) Advisory Services, focuses on cross-border merger and acquisition, encompassing purchases, disposals and capital raising, it said in a statement on Monday (Mar 27).

The unit which began operations on Mar 10 is overseen by Huai Yang as head of the operation, the bank said.

The “new strategic set-up will strengthen the bank’s capabilities to connect local and international clients to investment opportunities, both inbound and outbound, presented by the world’s second-largest economy”, said Jean-François Deroche, the bank’s senior regional officer for Asia-Pacific.

Previously, the bank served its Chinese advisory clients from its offshore base.

Some global banks are accelerating their expansion in China with the government granting a few major licences since earlier this year.

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British bank Standard Chartered won approval to set up a new securities brokerage unit in January, and JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley were permitted to take full ownership in their fund units in January and February, respectively. REUTERS