American Express' Presence in China		American Express Representative Offices in China
	American Express' Commitment to China

	American Express' involvement in China dates back to 1918, when the first branch of the American Express Bank opened in Shanghai. With its existing network and other cooperative ventures now being developed, American Express has extensive travel and financial services networks across the country.

American Express 'Presence   in China

The first American Express representative office was established in Beijing in 1979. Since then, it has opened additional representative offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen. The American Express Card is widely accepted by thousands of establishments in over 400 cities in China, including hotels, restaurants, shops and airlines. In addition, American Express has signed agreements with Bank of China providing customers easy withdrawal of local RMB through over 3,000 ATMs across the country. American Express Travelers Cheques are sold through the local branches of 28 banks. In January 2002, American Express and China International Travel Service (CITS) announced the establishment of CITS American Express Travel Services Limited, the first Sino-US business travel joint venture in the People’s Republic of China. The joint venture provides a wide range of business travel management services, including obtaining and handling visas, international and domestic flight reservations and ticketing, hotel reservations, convention services and other land arrangements, to multi-national corporations, regional and domestic companies throughout PRC. The second joint venture, CITS American Express Air Services Ltd. and third joint venture, CITS American Express Southern Air Services Ltd. were opened in December 2002 in Shanghai and in February 2003 in Guangzhou respectively. Cooperation between American Express and CITS goes back more than two decades when CITS was appointed as the ground service provider for American Express inbound group tours. In 2003, American Express and CITS signed a leisure travel representative agreement to expand the travel network by appointing like-minded travel agencies in China to provide travel services to American Express Cardmembers and customers. By 2005, the network has been expanded to 100 locations throughout the country covering all major provinces in China. In 2004, American Express signed a card partnership agreement with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to issue the first American Express branded credit card in China. The ICBC American Express Credit Cards, Classic and Gold versions were launched by the end of 2004. These are dual currency cards denominated in both local Chinese currency and U.S. Dollars. The new cards can be used both at ICBC merchants and the China Union Pay network throughout China as well as at American Express merchant locations in more than 200 countries and territories around the world American Express Bank opened its first representative office in Beijing in 1986. In 1992, it opened a second office in Shanghai. These two offices facilitate a full range of international trade and payments services to both the head offices and the key branches of all the leading banks in China.

Contributions to China's tourism American Express has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to China’s long-term economic and tourism development. Since its entry into China, American Express has been involved in a number of substantial, ongoing community and industry-related projects to further stimulate the growth of travel and tourism. American Express has funded several programs: In 1987, American Express launched the Heritage Preservation Project at the Palace Museum in Beijing. As the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Watch program that sponsors worldwide preservation activities, American Express has made grants through the program for conservation work in various endangered historic sites in China since 1997. These sites include: San Xing Dui in Sichuan province (1997) Xian Nong Tan’s Jufu Hall (1998) and Divine Kitchen (1999) in Beijing Xuan Jian Tower in the Town God’s Temple complex in Yuci City, Shanxi (2000) Xian Nong Tan’s Qing Cheng Palace (2001) Shaxi Marketplace in Yunnan province (2004) Over the years, American Express has sponsored the following programs: The American Express Foundation funded overseas scholarships for the China National Tourism Administration and CITS. In 1992, American Express established a joint Tourism Training Center at the China Tourism College in Beijing. Thus far, the Center has successfully trained over 900 tourist industry managers. American Express produces and distributes the “Official Guide to China” to tourists, as an ongoing effort to help promote China’s tourism industry. American Express twice sponsored the World Travel & Tourism Council’s study on China’s tourism development and its impact on the economy. The study looked deeply into the economic trends and development potential of the travel and tourism industry in China. In 1999 and 2000, the American Express Foundation sponsored the American Express Foundation Forum, "Emerging Technology in the New Millennium", in cooperation with the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies. In 2000, the Foundation also sponsored a seminar called “Financial Services in the New Economic Era” jointly organized by the People’s Bank of China and Tsinghua University School of Public Management. American Express has sponsored the following programs to support the cultural and leisure activities in China: Beijing Music Festival (since 2000), Heineken Open Shanghai (Tennis) (2000 and 2001), and International Arts Festival in Shanghai (since 2003). In 2000, the American Express Foundation made a grant to support the refurbishment of informational signage at the Forbidden City in Beijing. In 2003, the American Express Foundation granted the China Red Cross US$ 25,000 to support China’s fight against SARS. In 2004, American Express provided a grant of US$100,000 for Junior Achievement China to launch "My Money Business", a personal financial literacy program for high school students. American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850. It is a world leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, business services and international banking. For more information about American Express, visit the worldwide web site at www.americanexpress.com

Travel Related Services Beijing Room 2101, China World Tower 1, China World Trade Center, No. 1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue Tel: 86-10-65052228 Fax: 86-10-65052818 Shanghai Room 455 Shanghai Center, 1376 Nanjing Road West Tel: 86-21-62797072 Fax: 86-21-62797193 Guangzhou Room 806, Main Tower, Guangdong International Hotel, 339 Huan Shi Dong Lu Tel: 86-20-83311611 Fax: 86-20-83311616 American Express Bank Beijing Room 2313-14 China World Tower 1, China World Trade Center, No. 1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue Tel: 86-10-65052838 Fax: 86-10-65054626 Shanghai Room 2313-15 Lippo Plaza, 222 Huaihai Road (M) Tel: 86-21-53966611 Fax: 86-21-53966090