Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) and Ant International have announced a strategic partnership aimed at exploring AI-driven financial services, real-time treasury management, and cross-border payments, with a stated focus on liquidity management for global enterprises and continued development of financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Scope of the collaboration
Through the partnership, three of Ant International's business units, Alipay+, WorldFirst, and Bettr, will work with BOCHK across several strategic areas.
Cross-border retail payment connectivity
Drawing on BOCHK's presence across Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, the bank will provide supporting accounts and settlement banking services for Alipay+, Ant International's unified wallet gateway, intended to support cross-border payments across the region. According to Ant International, the Alipay+ ecosystem currently spans more than 50 mobile payment partners globally, covering over 2 billion user accounts.
The partnership also includes closer collaboration between AlipayHK, Ant International's Hong Kong wallet, and BOCHK. BOCHK customers can now link their bank accounts and credit cards to AlipayHK for peer-to-peer transfers, payments, and top-ups, with joint marketing campaigns and user promotions planned between the two companies in the near future.
Corporate treasury and liquidity management
Bettr, Ant International's embedded finance business, will work with BOCHK to explore blockchain-based solutions using distributed ledger technology and tokenisation, aimed at developing real-time cash flow management and investment tools for Ant International's global payment operations. The two companies also plan to combine BOCHK's foreign exchange pricing capabilities with Ant International's AI technologies to explore additional treasury management solutions.
Supporting SMEs in cross-border trade
WorldFirst, Ant International's global account service provider, will work with BOCHK to offer SMEs engaged in cross-border trade a set of integrated fund management solutions, intended to support Chinese enterprises expanding internationally. According to Ant International, WorldFirst currently provides cross-border financial services covering more than 220 countries and regions, including multi-currency collection and payment, AI-based foreign exchange services, treasury management, and compliance support.
Company commentary
A company official at BOCHK said the bank has expertise across cross-border payments, treasury management, and fintech, describing the partnership with Ant International as an opportunity to explore cross-border financial service solutions and advance fintech development in Hong Kong, while supporting cooperation in cross-border finance across Southeast Asia. The official cited BOCHK's role as Bank of China's Southeast Asia regional headquarters as relevant to the partnership's scope.
Commenting on the news, a company official at Ant International described BOCHK as a long-standing collaborator since 2013, saying the partnership is intended to combine both companies' strengths to support accessible cross-border payments for businesses and individuals, with an aim of building further connections between the two companies' respective ecosystems.
