The Bank of China (Hong Kong) entered the note-issuing market in 1994, becoming only the third bank authorised to issue currency in the territory alongside HSBC and Standard Chartered. This was a politically charged decision — the Bank of China is state-owned by the People's Republic of China, and its inclusion as an issuer ahead of the 1997 handover was widely read as a deliberate signal of Beijing's growing institutional presence in Hong Kong's financial infrastructure.
De La Rue printed the series at their Gateshead facility. The watermark security on these notes was considered relatively modest for the period, and the series was eventually replaced by a more secure issue after 2000.
The Bank of China (Hong Kong) entered the note-issuing market in 1994, becoming only the third bank authorised to issue currency in the territory alongside HSBC and Standard Chartered. This was a politically charged decision — the Bank of China is state-owned by the People's Republic of China, and its inclusion as an issuer ahead of the 1997 handover was widely read as a deliberate signal of Beijing's growing institutional presence in Hong Kong's financial infrastructure.
De La Rue printed the series at their Gateshead facility. The watermark security on these notes was considered relatively modest for the period, and the series was eventually replaced by a more secure issue after 2000.